The Island
by chronicler-of-knuckles
Summary: What does survival cost? And is the crew of the Aurora willing to pay? STRONG LANGUAGE
1. Chapter 1

The Island

By The Chronicler

* * *

"Not my fault! Not my fault! NOT MY FAULT!"

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Who's next to tell him that we agree. Not his fault." she wondered, dropping down on the couch and looking pointedly at her husband.

Buckaroo Banzai looked back. "Reno's up there now. He needed an extra pair of hands to hold the propellers and, apparently, I accuse him with my glances." He turned back to the computer station Tommy Boy was working at.

"No, there is still no signal. No one's coming to the rescue as of yet." Tommy Boy answered before he could ask again. Pushing back in the chair she did her very best to smile up at him. "Just so happens that the storm that forced us to land is, for those who have not looked outside, still there, blocking us from anything that could boost our signal enough to reach satellite."

"That's not my fault either!" came a yell from up stairs where Perfect Tommy was struggling to fix the propellers. "I can't control the weather! I'm perfect! Not a damn deity!"

Tommy Boy glanced sky ward. "How long has he been up there?"

"Too long." Peggy complained. Again she looked to her husband. "Buckaroo…."

Buckaroo threw his hands in the air. "It's his engine. He's the only engineer on this boat…'

"SHIP!" came a snap from top side. "The aurora is a ship! Not a boat!" Slightly less yelled was "Honestly, I don't know why I put up with…. I mean, come on already…."

With a groan, Buckaroo closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Any idea when Rawhide will be back?"

Tommy Boy sighed, wishing the big cowboy was handy just about then too. "He's still out with Knuckles and Oddity. And, before you ask, Jersey and Pecos aren't back either. Though they did check in about thirty ago."

Buckaroo waited about three seconds for her to continue, and, when she didn't… "I'm assuming that, if they had found fresh water, you would have told me."

Tommy Boy shook her finger at him. "Now, that's why they say you're such a smart man."

Buckaroo made as if he was going to smack her, but mumbled instead "Smart ass." Turning away, he looked out the big front windows at the storming weather beating on the island outside.

Three days.

They had been trapped here for three days on this little, unmapped rock in the middle of the big, wide Atlantic. Forced down by fast, strong, unexpected winds, this little island nobody seemed to know about was practically a miracle.

Unfortunately, nobody seemed to know about this damn little island.

The storm hadn't let up a drop the entire three days, pounding them. Oh the Aurora could take a beating. She proved that. But, there was no recharging her solar batteries sitting under those damn black clouds. There was no recycling their water without power. They were supposed to have restocked down in Tanqui yesterday.

The crew was making out, putting their unique skills to work in making sure they survived.

Rawhide and Knuckles went out to scout the island and, hopefully, a little hunting in the process to extend their short stocks. Jersey and Pecos were also scouting, but focusing on drinking water. Tommy Boy was trying to boost their computer links so as to reach help. Penny and Mrs. Johnson were trying to keep the 'household" up, whatever that meant ship wrecked on a little storm hit island. And Perfect Tommy was damning any and every island any god would create without a Napa Engine Parts store sitting in plain view.

Oh, yea, he made it quite clear that just having a Napa wasn't good enough. He had to have it in plan view with a honking huge florescent arrow that extended so high in the sky that it had burn spots where planes had ran into it, pointing directly down at it, a grinning service man, with manual, holding the door open for him.

Buckaroo honestly thought the kid was losing it.

Skip losing!

Lost!

"Damn." Buckaroo breathed, closing his eyes and dropping his head.

Peggy came up behind him and rubbed her hand up and down his back. "No worries." she encouraged softly. "You have a good crew. A good ship. We'll be fine.'

Her husband took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Of course she was right. He had a very good crew. And they had built him a very good ship. And no storm lasted forever.

Tommy Boy huffed. "After all, you are on vacation." she reminded them.

Both Buckaroo and Peggy looked down at her. But, Buckaroo chuckled. "Yea, well, we all know how my vacations go. Hell, I need a vacation from my vacations."

* * *

Knuckles slowly raised her crossbow to her shoulder. Taking careful aim at her target, she paused, listening, smelling, feeling the very air.

"Easy, boy." Rawhide hushed Oddity who, in his opinion, made the much better hunter.

Knuckles didn't need to look to know that the only thing holding her beloved pet back was the strong hand on his collar and the knowledge that he would greatly disappoint his mistress if he, again, chased away their meal. It must be agony for the over energetic dog to be held back from a much needed run. She could almost picture him: toung hanging out the side of his gaping blue eyed grin, ears twitching back and forth, muscles quivering with excitement.

Smiling at the thought, Knuckles fingers slowly squeezed, pulling the trigger.

With a twang, the steel hunting bolt shot forward, cutting through the air, and striking the boar just below and behind the ear, above the shoulder, piercing through the neck, the head of the deadly missile sticking out the far side.

The animal took half a step, but, too far gone to make a run for it, toppled over. Kicking weekly, it tried to squeal, but only gurgled.

"Damn it." knuckles cussed. "Missed the kill shot." Dropping her bow, she leaped out of her bushy hiding spot, drawing her belt knife as she closed on her prey.

"Kill it quick." Rawhide growled, not liking to see an animal suffer, even if he intended to eat it. He was struggling now to hold Oddity back as the dog barked wildly, very unhappy with the fact that his mistress was going after a wounded animal.

"That was my intention." Knuckles answered, though she knew he wouldn't hear her over the wind and rain. Jumping on the back of the struggling animal, she pinned it to the ground with her weight. One gloved hand grabbed the boar's muzzle from underneath, she pulled the head up and drove her knife down through the eye and straight into the brain.

Her prey had no time to suffer, dying at once.

Dropping the head back to the ground, she took a moment, laying her hand on its head, apologizing for her bad shot.

"You alright, girl?" Rawhide wanted to know as he came up to stand over her.

Knuckles nodded. "Damn wind. I should have adjusted more for the wind. He shouldn't have had time to fear."

Rawhide shrugged. "You must 'ave missed the spine by a breath. No one could have made a better shot in this damnable weather."

"Bullshit." she growled back. But, one for action over thought, she started to clean her knife in the grass. "Better get this critter back before the blood attracts something more on the predatory side, than the prey." She took a rope from her belt and began to tie its legs.

"You think we have something to worry about?" Rawhide wondered. He had a guess, but he tended to specialize in human predators over animals.

Knuckles huffed. "If there wasn't something bigger, we'd have seen a hell of a lot more boar by now." she pointed out. "Besides, look at Oddity. He knows something's out there."

Rawhide glanced down at the dog he still had a firm hold on.

Rather than watching his mistress, his big, blue eyes were scanning the trees, his ears working, his nose probing the wind.

"Wonderful." Rawhide grumbled. "Alrighty, then." Handing cross bow and dog to Knuckles, the big man suggested "What do you say we don't hang around here talking about it then?" And he started to look around for a branch to carry their boar on.

* * *

New Jersey wiped at his eyes, trying to clear them of the rain water.

"Doc, what'd I tell you about the hat?" Pecos grumbled. Incase he didn't remember, she snatched it up and smacked him in the arm with it. "You're wasting time."

Jersey threw her a glare. "I can't think with that thing on my head."

"Well, seeing as you're sticking a pin in some water and reading what it says, seeing seems a hell of a lot more important than thinking." she snapped. "Besides, I'm not gonna deliver you back to Peggy sick as a dog. Put it on and keep it on!"

Grinding his teeth, he obliged, tightening the chin strap of the cowboy hat so the wind wouldn't carry it away. "Seeing as I'm just taking water samples, I don't exactly see why I need an armed escort." he complained.

"That's 'cause you're a city boy." Pecos explained as she backed up, returning to her observation spot, her eyes carefully watching the small field they had found the little stream in.

"And you are less city, growing up in San Francisco?"

"Nope." Pecos answered. "But, growing up in the wilds of crazy, free thinking S.F., I'm more likely to shoot first and categorize later than you are."

Jersey's eyes narrowed. Turning back to his work he couldn't help but point out "Thus the endanger species act."

Pecos smiled. Though she wouldn't let him know it, poking fun at the doctor had been her anchor to sanity the last three days.

He was a good guy, tougher and smarter than he himself thought, even after all he had experienced with the Cavaliers. And he was a lot wittier than he thought of himself too. The doc had a rye humor that one would almost miss if one wasn't listening for it. Reno had pointed it out to her and her eyes practically popped right out of her head when she first caught on.

Now, where ever the doc was, just seemed like cozy home.

Even out here, drenched to the bone, searching for drinking water…

"Ha." Jersey suddenly barked.

"What?" Pecos snapped out of her thoughts.

He looked back and up at her. "We're on a tiny rock in the middle of an ocean of water where it hasn't stopped raining for three days… you'd think it'd be easier to find some water, wouldn't you?!"

Pecos' shoulders slouched with disappointment. "Ah, you have got to be kidding me!" She waved a hand at the island around them. "We're a couple of miles from the beach. How can we still be running into salt water?"

"Well, for starters, we're a couple of miles from that beach." Jersey indicated the side of the island where the Aurora had landed. "But we don't know how big the island is. We have no idea how close that beach is." he waved a hand off in the other direction. Coming to his feet and putting his little testing tools away in their plastic case, he pointed out "but it isn't salt we're dealing with."

"It isn't?"

"Arsenic. Probably seeping from the soil." He kicked at the stream. "We drink this and we won't have to worry about getting air born again. Just who's gonna bury who first."

Pecos sighed. "Oh, well, if we don't have to worry about getting air born again…" Shrugging, she glanced about. "So, what now? Keep looking?"

New Jersey shook his head. "We're not gonna find anything different." He tugged his rain slicker tighter around his throat. And shook his head again. "Let's get back to the Aurora and dry out. Put our heads together. Do some brain storming."

Pecos chuckled. "Funny choice of words there, doc."

Jersey looked at her, frowning. "Huh?"

"You know! Brain storming? We're in a storm?" Pecos waved a hand in the air as she turned and started to lead the way back home.

"And think… they give you a gun." Jersey rolled his eyes as he followed.

* * *

"Not my fault." he whispered to himself.

Reno groaned. "No one is blaming you, Tommy." he tried just one more time.

"Yea? Well, I am!" Perfect Tommy snapped before he could clamp his mouth shut.

Reno's head came up to stare at him across the top of the propeller cap he was holding into place. "What?" Could he have really heard what he heard? Could perfect Perfect Tommy really be blaming his perfect self?

Well, it was raining pretty hard, and he was wearing a hood.

Perfect Tommy turned away and became obsessed with looking through the tool box for the tool he had already attached to the underside of the cap.

Reno's eyes narrowed. Raising his voice, he asked again "What did you say?"

But Tommy ignored him, choosing to curse at the tool box instead.

"Perfect Tommy!"

"Augh! Why isn't anything working right!" Perfect Tommy yelled at the top of his lungs. In a fit, he rose up suddenly and kicked the box, sending it crashing back, off the edge of the observation deck.

With a loud crash and an explosion of tools, the box hit the ground three stories down.

"Perfect Tommy!" Reno snapped. He started to release his hold on the cap to grab his friend before he followed the box off the edge, but, remembering he was the only thing holding five hours worth of work together, he stopped himself. "Perfect Tommy! Calm down!"

"Fuck calming down!" Tommy snapped back. Seemingly unaware of the dangers of the slippery deck, he began to pace back and forth over the short eight feet length, waving his arms about wildly. "What the hell else can go wrong?!"

"Tommy, you're gonna fall!" Reno was becoming increasingly alarmed. He shifted, trying to free a hand so he could grab his friend.

"Don't you get it?" Tommy continued his tantrum. Ripping off his hood, he turned his face skyward. "Even the damn earth has turned against us!"

Grinding his teeth, Reno made a decision: damn the propeller!

"Hey, Reno?"

Reno glanced up at the kid, startled by the sudden calmness in his tone. Wasn't sure what he liked less: the out of control raging, or the sudden, curios calm. "yes, Tommy?" he asked cautiously, ready to abandon the propellers with a leap to grab Tommy if need be.

But Perfect Tommy wasn't stomping around any more. He was looking down at the ground where the tools had landed. "Did we pack along a little blond girl no one told me 'bout?" he wondered.

"What?" Reno tried to stretch his neck, trying to see what Tommy was seeing.

"There's a kid down there." Tommy glanced back at him. "A little girl with blond bunches of hair. Just looking' up at us."

Reno sighed, dropping his chin to his chest. "Perfect Tommy, would you throw a tantrum if I told you to go down stairs and get some sleep?"

Perfect Tommy spun about and headed for the hatch. "She's really there!" he insisted.

"Tommy, we're on a deserted island. Deserted! A.k.a. There's nobody there." Reno tried to assure.

"I'll be right back." the kid promised sliding down the ladder.

"Take your time." Reno hollered after. "Get some sleep! Some warm food! A tranquilizer!" he suggested. But then stopped, realizing that he was standing on the roof, in the storm, all alone, trapped by the propeller he was holding into place, waiting for someone to remember him.

And the way this trip was going…

* * *

Knuckles paused, rolling her shoulders.

"You doin' alright, girl?" Rawhide asked from behind. "Wanna take a break?" he offered.

The boar was hanging on a pole they carried between them on their shoulders. Being taller and stronger, Rawhide knew knuckles was taking the blunt of the hike. After an hour of caring this thing, he was beginning to be concerned that Knuckles refusal to admit defeat was gonna do her in.

"Did you see where Oddity went?" she asked, her eyes scanning the jungle around them.

Rawhide glanced around. "I… wasn't looking." he admitted. "Something wrong?"

Last he remembered, the dog had been wandering in and out of the bushes along side them. But, then again, Rawhide had lowered his head awhile back, concentrating on just keeping upright. The jungle of the island had left the ground a treacherous hike with roots and sink holes and spider nests hidden under every other twig and leaf. That, added to the wind and the constant rain… Well, he had been just a little distracted to keep an eye on the dog.

Knuckles didn't answer right away, her concentration on their environment. She was a hunter practically from birth, instincts honed in the wilderness, learning to track, hunt, survive. Every instinct learned in those days were instantly alert, and she couldn't quite put her finger on the reason. Like waking up in the middle of the night and not knowing what had woken her.

But then the wind stopped.

Not just ease nor die out. It suddenly and utterly stopped.

Taking with it was nearly all other signs of life: the bids, shifting of branches, squeals of the occasional unseen animal…

The only sound was the large rain drops hitting the big leaves all around.

"Drop the pig!" Knuckles suddenly ordered, already dropping her end as she reached for her crossbow.

Rawhide did as he was told, letting the catch drop to the ground. Spinning about for any sign of danger, he pulled open his coat so he could reach the pistol nested in his shoulder holster, protected from the rain. "What is it?" he wanted to know.

"You tell me." Knuckles answered, pointing her crossbow ahead of them.

Following her aim, Rawhide saw something he would never have expected.

Peeking out from behind a tree was a small, blue eyed, blond little boy. He couldn't have been more than six or so. Big eyes blinked at them, curiously, his little hands blending in with the white of the tree bark. His bangs hung wet and matted over his eyes and ears. Seeing that he had their attention, he carefully stepped out into full view revealing his bare little chest and ragged dark gray shorts. His feet were bare, but the sharp sticks and natural debris didn't seem to bother him any.

"Where the hell did he come from?" Rawhide wondered. Then he looked at Knuckles. "And why the hell are you aiming a weapon at him?"

"You explain him and I'll lower my bow." Knuckles challenged.

"Knuckles!" Rawhide growled, stepping pass her. Dropping to one knee a few feet away from the boy, he held his hand out to him. "Hello there, young fella." he greeted gently. "Do you understand me?"

The boy tilted his head to one side and just looked at him.

Rawhide sighed. "Knuckles? Wanna try a little French."

"No." she growled. "I wanna shoot first, ask questions later."

The man turned part way to glare up at her. "Blond kid in this region. Maybe a throw back from the old colonists." he pointed out before turning back to see the reaction.

Grinding her teeth, Knuckles let her crossbow drop. "Je suis content de vous voir." she offered. "Veux-tu un Franci?"

Again the boy said nothing.

Knuckles shrugged.

Rawhide pushed back his stetson and looked back at Knuckles again. "Anything native?"

"Native?" Knuckles waved a hand at the dead boar. "I could oink at…. Rawhide!" Her bow came up again.

There was a sharp tug at Rawhide's coat sleeve, turning the man around again to the child. Shocked, he stared down at the bone handled knife that the boy was using to dig through the thick padding of the sleeve in search of something more beneath the layers.

"Hey!" Rawhide jerked away, his reaction unintentionally jabbing up against the blade. "Ow!" he snapped as he scrambled back.

Knuckles quickly stepped forward, putting herself between him and his little attacker. "Can I shoot him now?" she wanted to know, done with trying to talk to the little brat.

"He's just a kid!" Rawhide protested. Despite the pain of his wound, he still tried to reason what had happened. "We scared him. How would you feel if big, weird strangers came up to you and started talking gibberish."

"Ask to be adopted. How do you think I got from India to America?" But even Knuckles' sense of violence wasn't prepared for what the child did next.

Looking at the blood on the tip of his knife, he held it up, over his lips. His toung flicked out, tasting the warm, red liquid. Smacking his lips, apparently agreeing with the taste, he looked at them again. Grinning, he revealed blood stained teeth, before taking a meaningful step toward them.

"I never did that!" Knuckles pointed out franticly. "Never, ever, even as an angry little brat, did I ever do that!"

Rawhide scrambled to his feet. "Son of a…"

The boy lunged forward, stabbing at Knuckles.

Despite her threats, Knuckles hesitated at shooting a child, instead using the bow to block the blade.

With a snarl, Oddity leaped out from the under brush, grabbing the boy's knife hand in his mouth and dragging him down to the ground.

The child cried out in start and pain as the dog shook his little hand until the knife was dropped.

"Oddity! Release!" Knuckles quickly ordered, rushing in to scoop up the weapon.

Instantly Oddity bounced back, retreating to his mistress' side, where he received an ear scratch as an award.

The little boy held his bruised and twisted wrist against his chest, his glaring blue eyes locked on the three as he slowly sat up.

"No blood." Rawhide observed, a little startled that, after the sudden attack and vicious sounds, Oddity hadn't left a dead hand hanging only by tendons.

"'Course." Knuckles grinned at him. "Oddity's better than that. He would never hurt a kid." she assured again scratching her pet's ears.

"No blood." Rawhide repeated. "Means I'm not gonna feel bad if we step around him and get back." Both he and Knuckles slowly backed up, keeping their eyes on the boy, until they reached the boar.

Leaving Oddity to keep watch, the two crouched down to pick up the kill again. But, when their attention turned back, the child was gone.

The wind was blowing again, even harder than before, the natural sounds of the island returning.

"Son of a bitch." Rawhide growled, glancing about quickly. "Back to the boat, and be fast about it." he encouraged, moving his pistol from the holster to his belt where it was easier to get to.

"Yea, like that needs to be said twice." Knuckles was already moving, calling to Oddity, keeping him close by.

* * *

New Jersey pushed the hat off his head and raised his face to the rain. "Did it get quiet all of a sudden?" he asked.

Pecos stopped where she was leading the way several feet ahead. "Huh?"

"It's quiet." Jersey pointed out. "The wind stopped. The bugs went away."

Pecos tilted her head to one side, listening. "Well, the rain is still coming down. And we're still getting wet. So?" She jerked her head back towards the path they were following back to the landing site. Not waiting if to see if he understood, she turned and started again. Only to stop suddenly with a startled yelp.

Right in front of her, nearly tripping the Cavalier, was a small, blond, green eyed girl.

"Holy crap, where did you come from?" Pecos gasped, hopping back.

She blinked up at the woman, a one sided smile creasing her young, baby fat cheeks. Her long, matted hair laid over her shoulders, dripping rain water down the front of her dirty and torn silk slip. She reached a hand out, her little white fingers grasping as if desperate for human touch.

Pecos couldn't help but smile down at the child.

Despite the dirt, rags, and matted hair, she was really quite a sweet looking little girl.

Out here, all alone, exposed to the elements and dangers of this desolate island…

Even if she wasn't a parent, Pecos' motherly instincts kicked in, over riding any possible caution raised at finding such a sweet innocent thing out here, so far from any known civilization.

She reached out and took the offered little hand, asking "Hey, there, sweety. What are you doing way out here? Where's your mommy?"

The little girl grinned up at her, revealing a mouth full of sharp, blood stained teeth.

Pecos frowned. "huh." was her observation. She looked back at the doctor. "Hey, Jersey, what languages do you…." her sentence ended in a cry as little teeth buried themselves into the meaty part of her hand where her thumb joined the rest of the fingers. Spinning back, she tried to yank her hand away, but the girl had both of her hands wrapped tightly around her wrist, her teeth chewing at her hand.

Pecos wasn't sure if it was the wound or the action that stopped her heart.

That sweet, innocent, little girl was trying to eat her hand.

"Get off of her!" Jersey yelled, grabbing Pecos' arm with one hand, and slapping the child away with the other.

Pecos cried out again as the child was slammed off, a chunk of her hand still being munched on in her teeth.

Jersey quickly spun about, dragging Pecos behind him, before turning to face the girl.

But the wind hit him hard, momentarily blinding him. When he was able to blink clear his eyes, all he saw in front of him was an empty path.

"Shit!" Pecos hissed, clutching her hand to her chest, blood running down her wrist and staining the front of her coat. "Shit, shit!"

One more look around, assuring himself that their attacker was, indeed, gone, Jersey quickly turned his attention to his wounded partner. Pulling his scarf out from around his neck, he took her hand and inspected it. "There's some damage here." he mumbled.

"And you took how many years of medical school to tell that?" Pecos growled. "What the hell did she bite me for?" she wanted to know.

Jersey wrapped the scarf around her hand. "You're gonna need stitches." he told her.

"Sidney." Pecos called to him, her voice tense with fear. When the doctor looked up at her, she asked again "Why'd she bite me?"

Jersey licked his lips. "She was chewing." he explained what little of the girl he had seen. "I think she was hungry."

Pecos eyes went big. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but she couldn't find the words to express what she felt about that answer.

"Can you walk? Are you at all dizzy?" Jersey quickly asked as he drew his pistol and checked to make sure it was loaded.

"Walk?" Pecos huffed. "Jersey, I'm running back to the damn ship."

* * *

Tommy Boy glanced up sharply from the computer when she heard the loud stomp as Perfect Tommy landed after skipping over the last three steps.

"Perfect Tommy!" Peggy cried as he nearly ran her over as he hurried pass the kitchen. "No running in the house… boat!" she reprimanded him.

"Yea" Tommy called back over his shoulder without slowing one little bit. "Sure. Sorry."

"Everything alright?" Buckaroo asked as he came in from the bridge to investigate the racket.

"There's a kid out there!" Perfect Tommy practically shouted at him as he skidded pass and jumped down the spiral that lead to the bottom floor of the Aurora.

"A kid? Perfect Tommy, what are… Tommy!" Buckaroo called after him, but he was already gone. With a sigh, he turned to Tommy Boy. "A kid?"

Tommy Boy shook her head. "Nothing. The systems picked up nothing but a little wildlife when we came over." She shrugged. "Then again, the storm knocked out most of everything."

"Like Perfect Tommy's brain." Mrs. Johnson complained from where she sat at the dining table. She leaned back so she could look out the window. "I mean, he's running around out in the rain looking for a kid on a deserted island. If he ever had it, he sure as hell lost it now."

"Buckaroo, he needs some sleep." Peggy put in. "If you have to go and slap him along the back of the head and drag him back in, you do it!"

The doctor sighed, reaching up and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Peggy, do me a favor? Go to the infirmary and get me a syringe with two CC's of benzodiazepines." he said, grabbing his coat off the rack and swinging it over his shoulders.

Peggy nodded once, then turned and hurried down the hall to the infirmary.

"Tommy Boy, you wanna see what sort of position he left Reno in on the roof?" Buckaroo zipped up his coat and started off to retrieve his youngest Cavalier.

Tommy Boy grabbed her own coat and started for the stairs when Mrs. Johnson asked her "Is Buckaroo really gonna dope Tommy up?"

Tommy Boy shook her head. "Not doped. Mild sedative." she pointed out. "And only as a last resort. You know how that kid gets when things go wrong. If someone doesn't stop him, he'll run himself to death."

"Well, yea, but do we have to dope him up?" the girl wanted to know. "I mean…. he doesn't like drugs."

Tommy Boy took a deep breath and was about to explain the differences between a sedative and `dope' when a beep drew her attention back to the comm. station she had just left. Returning, she hit a key. "Rawhide." she mumbled, reading the screen. She frowned. "And Jersey?"

They were both calling in at the same time?

* * *

"Tommy," Buckaroo tried to reason with him. "There's no one here. It's a deserted island. A little bump in the ocean."

But Perfect Tommy was too busy walking the edge of the trees, beating the bushes, searching.

Buckaroo ground his teeth. "Perfect Tommy, get your butt back inside!" he felt himself snap.

Finally, the boy stopped. Frowning, he turned his head to look at him.

Buckaroo winced. He didn't often lose patients, but the last few days was wearing him down. All he wanted to do was get the kid inside, tied down in bed where he wouldn't have to worry about him for a few hours. If he could do just that, only that, then he could cross one thing off the "Let's Give Banzai an Ulcer" list.

For crying out loud, they practically kidnapped him to give him a stress free vacation!

Hell, at least the wind had died away. He could cross that one off.

Taking a deep breath, Buckaroo tried again. "Look, Tommy, you haven't slept in a few days. You've barely eaten. You've been working hard out in this miserable weather."

"I'm not crazy." Tommy insisted. "I saw her."

The doctor tilted his head to one side. "Before or after you threw a few thousand dollars worth of tools off the roof?" He waved a hand at the scattered tools still laying in the mud and storm blown muck. "You do know what Rawhide's gonna do when he hears about this, right?… Tommy?"

Perfect Tommy wasn't looking at him. He was looking pass him. "Hey, Bucky, ol' man, if'n I'm crazy, tell me there ain't a kid standin' right on over there." he suggested, pointing.

Frowning, Buckaroo turned to look. "Son of a bitch." he breathed in disbelief.

There, true to crazy mutterings and chattering insistence, was a little, blond, blue eyed girl, maybe eleven, twelve years old. She was barefoot, wearing only a worn and tattered, white slip. One little hand tugged on the end of a matted strain of hair, the other was tucked up behind her, out of sight. She smiled a sweet, innocent smile at them, blinking her pretty eyes.

"Buckaroo Banzai!" Perfect Tommy cried. "Watch your language!" he reprimanded with a grin.

Buckaroo glanced back at him sharply. "Why didn't you tell us about her?" he demanded, quite satisfied with himself when Tommy's jaw dropped.

Damn it all, he was gonna enjoy his vacation!

Turning his attention back to the girl, he tilted his head to one side and said as kindly as he could "Well, hello, there. And just where did you come from?"

Seemingly imitating him, she tilted her head to one side.

Buckaroo smiled. He took a tentative step toward her. When she didn't seem frightened, he took another step. "My names Buckaroo. Do you have a name?"

She said nothing,

"Como se chama?" Buckaroo tried some Portuguese, the language spoken in Brazil, the biggest and closest of countries.

When that didn't work, Perfect Tommy offered a French try. "Veux-tu un Franci?"

She tilted her head to the other side, but still did not answer.

Buckaroo bit his lip in thought. "Well, she isn't afraid of us." he observed. He took another step toward her, but an unmistakable click from behind stopped him. Glancing back, he saw Tommy Boy standing in the hatch of the Aurora, her gun drawn and aimed at the child. "Tommy Boy?"

"Just come on back away from her, Buckaroo." Tommy Boy ordered.

"What the hell…?" Perfect Tommy demanded. "You gonna shoot a kid? For what?"

But Tommy Boy ignored him. Stepping out of the hatch, she came forward, reaching out with her free hand to take Buckaroo's arm. "Back into the Aurora. Both of you." she ordered. "I'll fill you in once the hatch is secured and…."

The child suddenly dropped into a crotch with a hiss, her hand coming out from behind her, revealing a rough looking knife with a rugged and chipped blade.

Tommy Boy yanked Buckaroo back just as the girl struck, her blade sinking hilt deep in the ground where the doctor's foot had been.

"Holy crap!" Perfect Tommy cried.

"Inside! Now!" Tommy Boy shouted, putting herself between Buckaroo and his small attacker.

A small hand grabbed Perfect Tommy's hand.

The Cavalier looked down into a pair of clear blue eyes. Despite what he had just seen from the first child, he just couldn't muster alarm at seeing yet another odd little child holding onto his hand as if he might be walking him to school.

But, then, the little boy grinned, revealing his sharp, blood stained teeth.

"Woe!" Perfect Tommy started to jerk away.

But the boy grabbed his hand with both of his and held on while digging his heals in.

"Hey! Let go!"

At his cry, Tommy Boy spun about, looking for her friend.

The little girl yanked her knife out again, shaking the dirt off. Hissing again, she lunged, this time at Tommy Boy, slashing her weapon across the back of the woman's leg.

"Aw!" she cried as the jagged blade ripped open the back of her leg, cutting through skin and muscle

"Tommy Boy!" Buckaroo leaped forward, catching her before she fell and hauling her away from the attack and back towards the hatch.

Perfect Tommy was still struggling with the boy who absolutely refused to release his hold on the Cavalier. "Get off, you little brat!" Tommy snapped, shaking his arm, trying to figure out how to free himself without hurting the kid.

But the boy just grinned. He turned his little blond head to look at yet another boy, a little bigger, a little older, and armed with a knife, who was approaching the scene.

"Well, shit!" Perfect Tommy groaned.

One more time the girl lunged, but, with a wounded Cavalier in his arms, Buckaroo had had enough. Kid or no kid.

When she came, her knife held high over her head, aiming at Tommy Boy's back, Buckaroo turned and kicked, hitting the little girl in the hip, spinning her about and dropping her to the ground.

Recovering some, Tommy Boy, grabbed the edge of the hatch, holding herself upright and freeing Buckaroo to fight. "Perfect Tommy, get inside!" she yelled.

"Love to!" Tommy admitted. He raised a hand to smack the boy away, but, stopped. He just couldn't quite bring himself to hit a kid.

He couldn't hit a kid.

Not a kid.

Not like his dad…

Knuckles on the other hand….

Coming out of the trees like the wild cat Tommy always teased her about being, she attacked the kid with the knife first, grabbing his wrist and swinging about with enough force, that she yanked him off his feet. With little effort, she shoved him in one direction, tossing the knife in the other.

Then Knuckles turned on the other boy.

Whether seeing her as the bigger threat or the greater prize, the boy released his hold on Tommy so suddenly that the Cavalier was sent stumbling back, tripping on a fallen wrench, and landing on his back side in the mud.

The little boy crouched, hissing at the girl.

"Ah, shut up!" Knuckles hissed right back, taking a menacing step towards him.

Behind her, the knife wielding boy crawled toward his fallen weapon.

Close behind his mistress, Oddity leaped onto the scene, coming to stand over the knife, his head down, the fur down his back ruffling, his lips curling up in a low, dangerous snarl.

Baring his teeth, the first boy lunged at Knuckles.

The bounty hunter stepped aside, letting the boy's leap carry him pass to crash on the ground, belly down. Spinning about, she placed her foot in the small of his little back, pinning him to the ground. Then she threw Perfect Tommy a glare. "You couldn't do that?" she demanded.

"Hey, I don't hit kids!" Perfect Tommy shrugged, adding "You'll hit anything."

Again, the little girl wrapped her fingers around her knife. But, before she could lift it, a big boot stomped down on it, snapping the blade in two.

Startled, she looked up to see Rawhide standing over her. Seeing yet another Cavalier, she bared her blood stained teeth and snarled.

He tilted his head to one side and smiled. "Well, howdy-doody to you too." he responded. "Now get! 'Fore I turn you over my knee!" he yelled.

The girl glanced back at her original targets, glanced at Rawhide, then, without another hiss, scrambled back and away. As soon as she was out of reach, she jumped to her feet and ran, disappearing into the trees.

A bark drew their attention to Oddity who, with a mixture of nips, snarls, and barks, chased the boys back into the trees.

"Oddity!" Knuckles called after him as she stepped over to offer her hand down to Tommy. "Come on back here, boy."

But her command was lost in a powerful burst of wind, seemingly the vanguard of the storm.

The sudden wind was nearly too much for the wounded Tommy Boy as she balanced on one leg, her wounded one held up. But both Rawhide and Buckaroo grabbed an arm each, offering their support.

"I'm alright." she assured the men.

"Yea, sure. See that from the pool of blood forming under your boot." Rawhide growled, holding her upright.

Buckaroo looked at the two. "Anyone wanna tell me just what the hell is going on? Did we just get attacked by a couple of kids? On a supposedly deserted island?" he wanted to know.

Tommy Boy smiled slightly. "Well, yea, that about sums it up." she answered, before looking up at Rawhide. "Jersey and Pecos."

Rawhide nodded. "Get inside." he ordered the two. Then looked about. "Knuckles? Perfect Tommy? Two of you alright?"

"Yea." Knuckles answered right off.

But Perfect Tommy was in torment. "My pants!" he cried, turning in circles, trying to get a good look at the mud on the back of his slacks. "This is the finest weave France had! Royalty doesn't get their robes cut from the same cloth! Can you believe…"

"Are you bleeding on them?" Rawhide demanded.

Perfect Tommy stopped, a little startled at the tone. But, he had to admit… "No…."

"Then I don't want to hear it!" the big cowboy snapped. "Saddle up, boys and girls. We still have two Cavaliers out there. Tommy Boy, where are they coming in from?"

Bracing herself against Buckaroo, she answered "Coordinates are on your go-phone. They're coming in from the east and south about two miles out."

"Knuckles…"

"We'll bring them in." Knuckles assured, grabbing Perfect Tommy's arm and dragging him after her while ordering "Oddity, stay put, boy. Stay home!"

With a bark of protest, the dog laid on the ground right where he was and, reluctantly, watched his girl hurry off.

"Rawhide?" Buckaroo started. "What's going on?"

"Inside." Rawhide ordered again. "Baton down the hatches, seal up the house. Nothing and no one gets in."

Buckaroo frowned at not getting an answer, but, he knew and trusted Rawhide. And the cowboy just didn't say anything unless it needed to be done. An explanation would come soon enough.

Rawhide waited until the two were inside before backing into the ship, his eyes scanning the tree line. "Oddity, come on, boy." he finally called.

Oddity gave a last wine of protest, then spun about and ran pass the big man's legs and inside. And Rawhide shut the hatch, sliding the steel bolt into place.

* * *

"Jersey." Pecos groaned, leaning back against a tree and closing her eyes.

Jersey stopped, looking back at her. He didn't like what he saw.

She was pale, sweat rolling down her neck. The rain had soaked her through and through, and the wind, despite it's tropical warmth, seemed to send shivers through her body with every labored breath. Her wounded hand was still wrapped in his scarf and tucked into her coat, but the arm itself seemed to be limp.

Quickly the doctor stepped back to her. Tucking his pistol back into its holster, he wrapped an arm around her waist, bracing his other hand against the tree behind her.

As her head rolled forward, dropping against his chest, she actually chuckled. "Hey, there, doc. I got me a man already." she joked weakly.

Ignoring her comment, Jersey carefully lowered her to the ground. Snatching his canteen from his belt, he held it to her lips. "Drink." he ordered.

All she managed was to sip, but it was enough, the cool liquid rushing down to, if not put out, at least cool the burning flames of her insides. With a sigh, she let her head fall back against the tree, closing her eyes again. "Thanks.."

Frowning, Jersey set the canteen beside her, making sure she could reach it with her good hand. "Let me see." he encouraged, carefully opening her coat and pulling the wounded hand out.

Pecos squeezed her eyes tighter, the only sign that she was even aware of what he was doing. Fact was, her hand, arm shoulder…. All hurt like hell. She could feel the blood squeezing through her veins as if they were suddenly too thin and her pounding heart was suddenly pushing too much through. Her joints throbbed. Her skin burned. Her fingers felt as if they were being sucked outside-in into her hand.

Hell, she wasn't even sure if she still had fingers on that hand.

"Ah, damn." Jersey breathed, laying her hand on the scarf for inspection.

Again, Pecos chuckled. "Gotta love your bedside manner, doc."

New Jersey looked up at her, this time smiling slightly at her attempt to lighten the situation. "Sorry." he offered. But looking down at the swollen hand, it was sheer will that kept him from cursing again.

The hand was beet red, the veins down the palm of her hand a deathly white color. The bite no longer bled, but the edges seeped a clear, glistening ooze. The edges of the wound were turned up slightly, the skin already dead, the exposed muscle graying.

Jersey had seen a lot of infected wounds in his day, even helped amputated a limb here and there when the infection had gone too far. But this was too fast, too horrific…

"Hey, Sid?"

The doctor looked up at her again.

This time her eyes were open and she was watching him. "Whoever told you no news was good news didn't know shit." she let him know.

Jersey sighed. "Well, the only good news here is that we're almost home."

"Home." Pecos breathed, her eyes closing again, her head leaning back. "Curling up with Reno in the Bunk House, Mrs. J. bringing in her freshest batch of cinnamon rolls. PT and Billy arguing over who was cheating more on their video games. Rawhide doing paper work. Buckaroo writing another genius medical article."

"Pecos." Jersey called to her. "I meant the Aurora. We're still a bit of a ways off from the Institute." he reminded her.

"Hmmm?" was her sleep blurred mummer.

"Pecos!" Jersey suddenly snapped. Laying her hand down, he cupped her face. "Pecos! Don't sleep!" he commanded, slapping her gently.

Groaning, the girl's eyes fluttered open, and she warned him "You hit me again and I'm gonna…"

"Do whatever you wish. But stay awake!" Jersey repeated. Letting her face go, he tossed the scarf aside. Opening his coat, he ripped off the bottom of his shirt and wrapped the new bandage around her wound.

"Hey." Pecos protested weekly. "Isn't that the shirt Perfect Tommy gave you? He's gonna have a stroke."

Jersey shrugged, gently tucking the hand back into her coat, tucking the material in around her. "I never could pull off that polished look." He moved to take her good arm to help her to her feet again.

But Pecos' arm jerked away. Grabbing the canteen, she threw it over his shoulder, shouting "Get out of here!"

Rising up and spinning about, Jersey caught sight of a little blond boy peeking at them from behind a tree. His little arms were hugging the tree, a knife clutched in one hand. His blood stained grin shined out at them.

"Jersey." Pecos gasped, her voice cracking. "Careful."

But, before either of them could even consider a defense, a hand slapped the boy in the back of the head, bouncing his forehead off the tree and leaving him to fall to the ground, stunned.

Knuckles snatched the fallen knife up, tossing it to Perfect Tommy as he hurried pass to join Jersey and Pecos. "If there was `ever' a case for child abuse…" she growled at the boy as he blinked up at her.

After shaking his head, he looked up at her and bared his teeth in an animistic snarl. He grabbed at her ankle, rolling toward it in an attempt to get his teeth close enough to bite.

"Hey, you little cannibal!" Knuckles kicked him away. "Keep your freakin' teeth to yourself!"

Rolling up into a crouch, he glared up at her with such rage that, when the wind returned in a rush, Knuckles actually thought it was from him.

But he was gone and, again, the Cavaliers were left, mysteriously alone.

"Damn, I hate it when they do that." Knuckles admitted, scanning the trees, searching for any sign of the hungry children.

"What? You preferred he hung around?" Perfect Tommy huffed as he crouched down beside Pecos.

Wasting all her remaining strength on warning Jersey, Pecos was barely conscious, her head slumped forward, legs and good arm laid out about her.

"I rather an enemy I can see over one I can't keep track of." Knuckles answered. She took up a protective stance over the small party, her crossbow out and at the ready.

Perfect Tommy pulled off his slicker and wrapped it around Pecos shoulders. "What's wrong with her?" he wanted to know.

Jersey crouched down again. "She was bitten. Some sort of infection has set in." He helped snap up the slicker around the girl.

"They must have a hell of a bug here abouts." Tommy observed.

"It wasn't a bug." Jersey explained. "It was a little girl."

Both Knuckles and Perfect Tommy looked at him sharply. Then they looked at each other.

"Fuck this." Knuckles growled. "Still can't hit a kid?" she asked Tommy.

Perfect Tommy took a deep breath. "Jersey, you lead, gun out. Knuckles, you take the rear. Shoot anything knee high and blond." he ordered before sliding his arms under Pecos. With Jersey's hand on his elbow to steady him, he stood, lifting Pecos up into his arms.

Nothing more needing to be said, the four started out again, wanting only to get back to the Aurora, out of the rain and wind, and off this god forsaken island.

* * *

Perfect Tommy was happy to hand his package off to Buckaroo, who, with Jersey close behind, hurried Pecos to the infirmary.

"You alright?" Rawhide wanted to know, reaching out to proudly rub the young Cavalier's shoulder. He knew the boy must have carried his friend at least a mile or more.

A hell of a hike alone, but with the tensions of possibly being followed and attacked at any minute, forcing himself faster and faster the worse Pecos got.

Perfect Tommy glanced up at him with bright blue eyes and he offered a slight smile. "I'd jus' like to make it all official that none of this, not one little rain drop, was my fault."

Rawhide couldn't help but smile. "Wise ass." he growled, sending him off to Mrs. Johnson's care with a gentle shove.

Knuckles came in last, her cross bow still held at the ready. Not even glancing at the big cowboy, she headed right to the front windows and peered out, her sharp eyes taking in every detail of the surrounding area.

Rawhide followed her. "Reno's in the crow's nest, keeping watch. You should get some sleep." he advised.

Knuckles shook her head. "I'll take watch. The boys need to get this buggy air born."

Rawhide sighed. "Not going to happen in this wind." he answered. "We're all locked up. Safe and sound. We can wait this out."

Knuckles looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. "Can you kill a kid?" she asked right out.

Rawhide met her eyes but found he couldn't answer right off.

It was too big of a question.

Too evil of a question.

One, he had been hoping, he would not have needed to answer.

The little bounty hunter tilted her head toward the outside. "If we stay here, you're gonna have to." she warned. "Coming in, I spotted tracks that weren't there on our way out. Straight line to mask their numbers, but enough that their prints made a deep impression before their rear guard covered it with debris."

Rawhide lifted his chin slightly. "This sounds like more grown up behavior. Their elders finally decided to make an appearance?"

But Knuckles shook her head. "They were all small, children's feet, all bare. Rawhide, there were fifty plus, maybe even a hundred. And they were organized, focused, and taking a walk right out there." She pointed, indicating the tree line only a hundred yards from where the Aurora sat. "Tommy Boy is down to one leg. Pecos might be dying. And you have a cut up arm. And that was, what, three, four of them? Coming at us individually?" She looked out again. "If we don't get air born and now, then we sure as hell better be ready to kill those kids." That said, she pushed away and headed for the armory.

Mrs. Johnson quickly chased after with a steaming cup of something or other and a towel, complaining about the muddy foot prints Knuckles' steel toed boots were leaving on her clean floor.

* * *

"Easy." Peggy directed as she helped guide Buckaroo as he lowered Pecos down on to the bed. "She's soaked through, Buckaroo." she breathed, brushing the black bangs away from the girl's face.

"I know." Buckaroo answered as he shook off his own now wet jacket, before bending over the bed and starting on the buttons of the slicker wrapped around Pecos. He paused to lay the back of his hand over her forehead. "She's burning up and freezing all at the same time."

"Watch her hand." Jersey warned as he hurried into the infirmary. Seeing that the Banzai's were getting her out of the wet clothes, he turned his attention to getting the medical supplies needed to care for Pecos' wound.

"Sid, you're wet." Buckaroo pointed out as he slipped Pecos' limp arms out of her shirt, tossing the clothing into a hamper in the corner.

Jersey paused just long enough to wiggle out of his coat and toss it after the shirt, before returning to his work.

"What happened?" Peggy wanted to know, gently laying the wounded hand on a pillow and stepping back so that her husband could get a closer look at the wound.

"Some sort of infection." Jersey was mumbling. He picked a saline bottle and a silver bowl and brought them to the bed. "I think the child that bit her had some sort of venomous saliva…"

"Venomous?" Peggy repeated in disbelief. "We're talking about children here. Human children!"

Buckaroo nodded. "There are some reptiles… Their saliva isn't venomous, but so loaded with bacteria that their spit is deadlier than their bite."

"Children!" Peggy insisted. "Human! Children!"

Jersey poured the saline into the bowl and passed it across the bed to Buckaroo, who was unwrapping the wounded hand. "Could be a condition. A disease that the children have adapted to. This could be a… a…"

"Plague island." Peggy supplied. As if an after thought, her hand came up to her throat., here eyes going big.

Buckaroo glanced up sharply at his wife, then back at Jersey. Plague opened up a whole can of bad worms.

Jersey stared at him for a moment, then quickly said "Buckaroo, you and Peggy…. You need to leave the room." He reached across to take the bowl back. "Get out, shut the door, and wait 'til I've figured this out."

"Sid…" Buckaroo shook his head.

"If it is some sort of plague, I've already been exposed. You and Peggy…. You could still be safe, still clean…"

"Sid, we're all exposed!" Buckaroo cut him off. "Perfect Tommy carried her home. Peggy and I took off her clothing. I've handled the bandages."

"But there's a chance…."

Peggy took up her husband's argument. "Both Tommy Boy and Rawhide have been cut. That's certainly exposure."

"Besides, who's going to look after Pecos while you're getting some dry clothes?" Buckaroo took the bowl back..

"I'm fine." Jersey protested.

"You're soaked through." Peggy grabbed his arm and started to drag him toward the door. "Go dry off. We're not going anywhere." she assured, practically pushing him through the door.

Knowing there was no fighting the united front of the Banzais, Jersey finally nodded. "Yea… alright…. Draw some blood. I'll be right back to take it to the lab." he said over his shoulder as he down the hall.

"You too, Peggy." Buckaroo encouraged.

Peggy threw him a glare. "I'm not wet."

"But, limited exposure…"

"You'll lose that fight quicker than Sid." she warned him, stepping over to the supply cabinet and picking out a syringe. "You take care of the hand. I'll draw the blood."

It took Buckaroo Banzai two breaths to consider continuing the argument and to dismiss it. She, as always, had already won. Just a waste of time… by the looks of Pecos, valuable time.

* * *

Tommy Boy practically caught Reno as he jumped down from the ceiling hatch. Slamming back against the wall, she couldn't help but put weight down on her wounded leg. "Ow! Damn it!" she cursed, her leg giving way under her.

"Shit!" Reno grabbed her shoulders, keeping her upright. "Sorry…. I mean…. sorry." he quickly apologized. "I didn't see you. Pecos was…. Perfect Tommy said she was…. "

"Alright." Tommy Boy growled through clenched teeth. Grabbing his arm, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady herself. The pain of the cut slowly subsided as she held her leg up, taking deep breaths.

Calming himself, Reno asked "Are you alright?"

She managed to nod. Licking her lips she looked up at him. "The docs are looking after Pecos. Best you give them some time."

Reno stiffened. "So… she was hurt."

Tommy Boy shrugged. "A little bite. Seems an infection has set in. But she's got the best doctors in the world. Both of them. Let them do their job." Another deep breath. "We need to do ours and get her off this damn island."

The man glanced down the hall, wanting to run to the woman he loved despite what he was being told. But, he managed to plant his feet. Taking a gentler hold on his friend, he asked "What do I need to do?"

"The propellers…"

"Fixed. Didn't have a clue what Perfect Tommy was trying to do, but I finished it." he assured.

"Good." Tommy Boy nodded. "Okay. Find the kid. Get him into some dry clothes and drag him back up there. I can't get the programming up, if there's nothing to program."

Reno nodded. "Yea, okay." He started to turn away, but TommyBoy's grip on his arm stopped him. He looked a question at her.

"Reno, Perfect Tommy works, you stand guard." she ordered. "Any thing moves out there, you see anyone… get both of you back inside! No confrontations. No meet and greets. Get inside and lock up behind you! Understood?"

"Are we still talking about children?" Reno asked, shocked at her order.

Tommy Boy looked at him. "If we weren't, we'd be shooting back by now." she answered before letting him go.

Reno hesitated, trying to process. Finally giving up… nothing was making sense anyway… he started down the hall again.

* * *

Mrs. Johnson sat at the dining room table, staring at the dinner she had prepared.

Seasoned mash potatoes.

Corn on the cob.

Peppered steaks.

Salad.

Fresh croissants.

Raspberry ice tea.

It was a late dinner. With everything going on, she hadn't gotten it on the table until eight. She had been already with the apologies, ready to shush Perfect Tommy for his "What ya trying to do to my figure?!", ready to run and get the sweet butter and milk and anything else the crew of the Aurora might need.

Two hours later, she was still waiting for the crew to show up.

Not that she was angry that no one showed up for dinner.

Perfect Tommy and Reno were working hard on getting them air born again. And Tommy Boy was downstairs working on some new whatever that would do whatever it was that would make life easier. Knuckles and Rawhide had barred up every window, every door, every air vent on the ship, not to mention cleaned and loaded every gun. Peggy was sitting with Pecos and Buckaroo and Jersey had locked themselves up in the lab, trying to figure out what was wrong with their girl.

All good reasons for missing out on all her hard work getting hot, good food for their cold, tired bodies, filling those empty, growling bellies.

A wine across the table drew her attention.

Oddity was sitting up in Rawhide's chair, casting meaningful glances at the plate of steaks.

Mrs. Johnson sighed. "Well, at least someone is hungry." she mumbled. Reaching across the table, she served the dog a steak.

Oddity offered a bark of appreciation, before digging his teeth into the treat.

The girl smiled, thankful for an acknowledgement of her work…. Even if it was from the family pet.

But, no sooner had Oddity started working a good chunk of the meat in his teeth, than his head came up, his ears flickering. A muffled growl came from deep in his chest.

Mrs. Johnson froze in her seat. She had known the dog far to long to know that he didn't get riled up over squirrels and a little wind. She slowly rose to her feet, her chair sliding against the floor sounding awfully loud just about then. "What is it, Oddity?" she whispered. "What is it, boy?"

Oddity jumped from his chair and bounded for the slider that separated the bridge from the living quarters. Growling, he scratched at the door.

Mrs. Johnson reached back and pulled from a drawer in the secretary a small pistol. Carefully, she followed the dog, reaching the slider. "Easy, boy." she whispered, grabbing a hand full of fur. "Stay with me." she encouraged, before reaching out with her gun hand and shoving the slider open.

The bridge was dark, the power being saved. Even the lights from the control panels were dead, having been scrambled by the storm.

But there was a dim light from the top deck where Perfect Tommy and Reno were working. It cast a dim light down the sides of the Aurora, almost like a glow, illuminating the observation deck just beyond the bridge's big, storm windows.

It was just enough light that it glistened off the rain drops as they bounced off tiny figures covering the deck. Just enough to reflect off blond heads like the reflection of snow. Just enough light to see the bright and eager eyes of the children…

Oddity began to bark, pulling against Mrs. Johnson's hold.

"Oddity, no! Stay with me!" Mrs. Johnson cried, pulling the dog back, her gun coming up. Over her shoulder she yelled "Rawhide! Buckaroo! Someone!"

A child's face pressed against the window, a hand on either side, as if she was looking in on a candy store.

"Go away!" Mrs. J yelled at them.

Another, a little boy, raised a knife, only bits of the blade clean enough to catch the light, and struck the window.

But the storm windows were designed to withstand the debris of a tornado.

A little boy and his knife barely scratched it. But he tried again, dragging the blade down the window, trying to dig his way through. Blade against window had a nails on chalk board sound that made even Oddity to wince, losing a bark.

"Mrs. Johnson?" Rawhide called as hurried into the room from the kitchen.

"Mrs. J!" Knuckles' call was only a breath after as she hurried down the stairs from the sleeping quarters.

"They're here! They're all over!" Mrs. Johnson answered them, pointing at the windows with her pistol.

"Knuckles, hit the lights!" Rawhide ordered. He rushed across the room, grabbing Mrs. Johnson and pushing her back, behind the cover of the slider. "Oddity! Guard! Stay!" he commanded the dog, pointing at the girl.

Oddity obeyed without hesitation, dropping to the floor at Mrs. Johnson's feet. His muscles twitched, his ears working, a low growl rumbling from his throat, but he didn't move from her feet.

"Lights!" Knuckles confirmed as she hit the switches beside the slider.

Instantly, the bright deck lights exploded to life, flooding the deck with light.

Her job done, Knuckles spun about to stand beside Rawhide, both her matching Starr Army revolvers out, aimed, and at the ready. But her guns lowered slightly when the light revealed the deck. "What the crap?" she demanded.

Rawhide frowned. He stepped out into the bridge and looked around.

"What?" Mrs. Johnson hissed at Knuckles.

"There's nothing out there." Knuckles answered, almost sounding disappointed. Straightening up and slipping her right revolver back into the holster, she followed Rawhide, looking about the bridge.

"What?!" The girl practically tripped over Oddity as she spun about to see for herself.

The deck was empty. The wind was blowing across the deck, forcing the rain almost straight across the windows. No where was there any sign that anyone had ever been there.

"What the hell?" Mrs. Johnson demanded pushing pass Knuckles. She waved a frantic hand at the window. "They were there! I swear it! The deck was covered with the little buggers!" She turned on Knuckles. "I'm not making this up!"

"No, you're not." Knuckles agreed. "Oddity doesn't growl at nothing."

"And the wind didn't do this." Rawhide pointed out, running a finger up and down a small scratch on the window about waist high. He looked at Knuckles.

"Well, crap." the bounty hunter growled.

* * *

Hunger.

It was the wind.

It was the rain.

It was the trees.

It was the dirt.

It was the wilds.

It was the beating in her chest.

It was the pulsing through her veins.

It was the air in her lungs.

It was peace.

It was war.

It was hunger!

And she was hungry!

So hungry….

The want so powerful it brought tears to her eyes.

So, so hungry…

She was empty, nothing under her skin but cold, dark, wanting blackness.

So empty…

So hungry…

Hungry!

Pecos' hand snapped up so sudden, so hard, Buckaroo never saw it coming. She struck him in the side of the head, slamming him against the wall with a solid crack.

Silently, the doctor slid to the floor, unconscious.

Sitting up, Pecos slipped her bare feet to the floor and rose up.

She blinked down at her friend, the man that had been both a teacher and a brother to her. He had been there when she was sick and sad, healthy and happy. He took her in when she was a nothing street kid trying to make her way to college. Introduced her to the man she loved. Gave her a reason to fight, a reason not to fight. Gave her plenty of reasons just to live.

Dr. Buckaroo Banzai had opened the world for her.

Hungry!

Pecos stepped over him, leaving him on the floor and bleeding. Without a glance back, she opened the door and stepped out into the hall. She paused there, glancing to her left.

The lab.

There was a light in the window of the door, but no movement.

She looked right.

The door to the kitchen, sounds of dish washing and humming coming from within.

Beyond was the dining room and library.

And beyond that the doors that lead to the bridge.

The rooms were dark, closed down for the night.

She turned her eyes upward.

There were some voices, two, barely audible.

Hungry!

Turning, she crossed the darken rooms to the doors, her bare feet padding almost soundlessly. She reached out to the doors and slid them open.

Tommy Boy jerked upright in her seat at the consol, reaching for her pistol. But stopped when she saw who it was. With a sigh of relief, she settled back into her seat. "Geez, Pecos, warn a girl, would you?" She glanced out the big windows again, searching the outside for anything that should have alarmed her before she was willing to fully relax. Then she looked back at Pecos again. "Hey, should you be up? Where's Buckaroo?" she wondered.

But Pecos simply just stood there, looking at her.

Tommy Boy frowned. "Do you want me to get Jersey? He's down stairs. Said he needed something from supplies."

Again Pecos said nothing, the only sign that she was even alive coming in the form of a tilt of her head.

The blond slowly pushed herself to her feet, careful not to put too much weight on her wounded leg. "Why don't you sit down here." she suggested, gently reaching out to take Pecos un-bandage hand and gently pulled her to the chair. "You sit down and keep watch for a few minutes. I'll go get Jersey. Okay?" She turned away, limping toward the spiral stairs leading to the lower deck.

Pecos laid a hand on the pistol that still laid on the consol. She picked it up, turning it in her hands as if it was the first time she had ever seen such a weapon.

"Tommy Boy?" called Mrs. Johnson as she stepped out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel. "I heard you talking…" she started, heading for the bridge. Then she saw who Tommy Boy had been talking to. "Pecos! You're up!" She smiled.

Tommy Boy paused when she heard her. "Mrs. Johnson." she greeted. She started to turn back.

Pecos suddenly stepped up to her and, without hesitation, pushed.

Already off balanced by her wounded leg, Tommy Boy couldn't stop her tumbling backwards. For a breath she felt as if she was floating. Then she knew she was falling.

"Tommy Boy!" Mrs. Johnson cried as she saw her friend tumble down the stair case. She started forward, but a thundering boom slammed her back against the wall. Stunned, she turned her eyes to Pecos again and the smoking gun pointed directly at her. "Pecos….?" she gasped. She looked down at her hand pressed against her stomach. Her hand was filled with blood. "Pecos…" she whispered again, slowly sliding down the wall.

Pecos never looked at the girl as she started down the steps.

Tommy Boy, stunned and hurt, laid at the bottom of the steps in a heap. She groaned, her hands attempting to ward off the pain she felt everywhere. She gasped, almost sobs, when she tried to straighten her leg.

Pecos stepped over her with such little thought, she didn't even notice when she didn't quite clear her friend, stepping on her hair as she passed.

"What the hell is going on?" Jersey demanded as he came out of one of the storage areas. "Pecos? What are you doing up? You should be in bed." he reprimanded, quickly setting down the small box he had been carrying and starting toward his patient.

Then he saw Tommy Boy laying at the foot of the steps. "Oh, god." he gasped, changing direction, "What happened?"

A click drew his attention once more to Pecos.

She held the gun straight out, aimed directly at him.

New Jersey stopped, holding his hands up. "Pecos…" he breathed cautiously. "What are you doing?" he wanted to know, every word spoken slowly, carefully.

She tilted her head to one side, blinking. Reaching back she unlocked the door leading to the outside. Turning, she stepped out into the night and the rain.

"Pecos, don't!" Jersey yelled, leaping after her. But, just as he reached her, she spun to the side, grabbed his out stretched arm and pulled him pass. As he did, she brought the butt of the gun down on the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

He never reached the ground, half a dozen blond children right at hand to catch him.


	2. Chapter 2

Mrs. Johnson cried out.

Rawhide's gut wrenched. "Okay, okay, baby girl. No more moving." he promised as he settled her into the bed. He started to pull away, but Mrs. Johnson grabbed his hand, clinging to it. His heart breaking, the big man leaned over her, laying a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Shhh. It's gonna be alright, sweet pea. We're gonna take care of you."

"She… she shot… me… Pecos…" She was crying, though Rawhide wasn't sure if it was pain from the bullet in her gut or the shock of her friend putting it there. "Why…"

"Rawhide." Buckaroo called to him. "Morphine: top drawer under the right cabinet." he instructed from where he sat on a stool by the sink.

Peggy was fussing over his head wound, trying to get her husband to sit still long enough for her to determine if he had a concussion. "Sit still!" she reprimanded him. "You're going to need stitches."

Mrs. Johnson cried out again, withering on the bed.

"Later." Buckaroo answered his wife, pushing her aside. He started to rise to his feet, but a wave of dizziness washed over him. Grabbing Peggy's shoulder for support, he squeezed his eyes closed, and swallowed hard.

Peggy wrapped her arms around his middle, keeping him from falling. "You can't even stand. How do you expect to pull a bullet from her?!"

Refusing to be out of reach of the wounded girl, Rawhide stretched out over the bed, trying to reach the indicated drawer. "Where the hell is Jersey?!" he snapped when he just couldn't reach.

Despite quickly losing consciousness, Mrs. Johnson instantly reacted to his tone, whimpering and withering.

Rawhide quickly turned back to her, running a gently hand over her head, hushing her. "Shhh… it's okay…. You're gonna be just fine."

"They took him." Perfect Tommy answered his question as he rushed into the infirmary. "The little bastards took him." He glanced about. "Splint? Bandages?"

Rawhide pointed, before pointing again at the drawer with the morphine.

Perfect Tommy rushed to retrieve the needed items, handing Rawhide the syringe.

"What do you mean… they took him?" Buckaroo demanded, forcing his eyes open. Not to mention… "Who else is hurt?"

Perfect Tommy paused to look at their employer. "Pecos pushed Tommy Boy down the stairs. She's all bashed up. Then Pecos apparently nailed Jersey and handed him off to the local cannibals." he snarled, his rage kept in check only by the need to help his friends.

"She wouldn't!" Peggy protested. "Pecos wouldn't have hurt them! She couldn't!"

"Look around, Peggy!" Perfect Tommy snapped. "Look at Buckaroo! Go look at Tommy Boy! And if that isn't enough proof…" He waved a hand at the bed. "Look at her! Who did Mrs. Johnson ever hurt? Who did she ever threaten? How could anyone… How…. Damn it, Pecos shot her!"

"Perfect Tommy." Rawhide's low, quiet tone snapped the boy's head around. The big cowboy's look alone was enough to quiet Tommy's rage.

Perfect Tommy closed his eyes, licking his lips, before opening them again. "Yea." he breathed. He looked at Buckaroo. "You gonna be alright, boss?" he wanted to know. "'Cause we sure could use an up and active doc in some parts of this boat."

Buckaroo smiled slightly. "Thought it was a ship."

"Wise ass." Perfect Tommy jerked his head towards everyone's favorite little sister. "Take care of her. We've got Tommy Boy." he assured, then slipped out the door, not daring to look back at Mrs. Johnson.

"Damn." Rawhide growled. "There's a hell of a lot more than blood that needs mopping up."

"Don't be so morbid!" Peggy snapped. But her attention was quickly snatched away as Buckaroo pushed away from her.

"Rawhide, go take care of the crew." he ordered. "Peggy, wash up. Get a surgical kit. I'm going to need your help."

Knowing there was no use arguing, Peggy leaped to obey.

Rawhide grabbed Buckaroo's elbow, steadying him as he stepped over to the bed. "You gonna be able to do this?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Are you referring to the fact that I am going to operate in a ship's infirmary with fundamental tools and supplies, with a limited power source, basic sanitize methods, and a lack of back up plasma? Or that I'm going to do all that while the world is spinning in six different directions and if I had bothered to take time to eat dinner, I'd be throwing up now?" Buckaroo Banzai looked up at his friend. "Do I have a choice?"

Rawhide sighed. "yea." he breathed. "I'll go take care of the troops. Yell if you need anything…. Or if…." He stopped, not wanting to think of any other reason Buckaroo might call him. Instead he grabbed the stool and pulled it up to the bed so that Buckaroo could sit again. He glanced at Peggy, offered an encouraging smile, then hurried out of the room.

The rest of the crew were in like state of shock, trying to do what had to be done, yet not knowing exactly what had to be done.

Tommy Boy laid on the couch, Perfect Tommy was already rewrapping her cut leg.

Knuckles was standing at the consol in the Bridge, loading her pistols.

Reno paced, waving his hands about, telling Knuckles "You can't hunt her down! She's sick! She doesn't know what she's doing!"

"Didn't think she was in her right mind, Reno." Knuckles grumbled, setting down one pistol and picking up the next. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "But she is armed, dangerous, and shooting little girls."

"Not to mention pushing them down the stairs." Perfect Tommy mumbled, taping up TommyBoy's leg.

"Little girl?" Tommy Boy looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Tommy Boy's a soldier." Knuckles pointed out. "She's like me and you. And Pecos. We're fighters. Mrs. Johnson isn't. She's a kid. A non-combatant." Her attention turned back to her guns. "Same as Jersey."

"Knuckles, lets not jump the gun." Rawhide suggested as he entered the conversation.

Knuckles paused, looking down at her pistols. "Was that supposed to be funny?" she wondered.

Rawhide also paused, glancing at her. "Um, no… but still holds. Whatever we do, we aren't doing until one: our crew is taken care of, two: there's light outside, three: ship is secure, and four: we figure out what we're gonna do." Leaving it at that, he leaned over the back of the couch, and laid a gentle hand on TommyBoy's shoulder. "You alright?"

"She played bumper boat down a steel spiral." Perfect Tommy growled. "What do you think?"

"I! Think!" Tommy Boy started, glaring at the boy, "That I'm well enough to kick your butt if you don't settle down." When his eyes snapped up to look at her, she offered a reassuring smile. "Knuckles is worried about Jersey. Go rein her in."

"Nothin's gonna rein her in 'cept getten' the doc back." Perfect Tommy pointed out.

"And Pecos!" Knuckles added as she stomped pass the couch and headed for the armory. "I might want to shoot her, but just a little. Want her home first."

"Just a little?" Reno cried. "What do you mean just a little?"

Knuckles shrugged. "Yea… in the foot, in the leg maybe…."

"You can't shoot her!" Reno protested. "Rawhide…"

"No one is gonna shoot Pecos." Rawhide assured, standing up again, and turning to look at the bounty hunter. Damn it, half his crew was limping and bleeding and the other half nagging to be so. "Knuckles…"

"We'll shoot her with these." Knuckles cut him off, tossing him a clip.

Snatching it out of the air, Rawhide threw the girl a glare. He held the clip up. "You could have told him you had tranquilizers."

Knuckles tilted her head to one side. "He could have trusted me, too." She started back to the bridge. "I'll keep watch until dawn." She held the doors open until Oddity had joined her, then slid them close behind her.

"I do trust her." Reno insisted. "But Pecos…" Words failing him, he just shook his head.

Rawhide sighed. "Perfect Tommy, how's the engine?"

"Fixed." the engineer answered. "Just needs some power… If Tommy Boy got the new turbine connections…"

"Connected." she assured, wincing as she tried to wrap her wrist.

Rawhide quickly turned back, taking the bandage and finishing the wrap. "And that means?"

"It means we no longer need the sun to power the Aurora." Perfect Tommy explained. "We now have wind power. As long as the wind is blowing the propellers, the batteries are charging. All we have to do is wait until they are fully…"

"How long until we can take off?" Rawhide cut him off. He didn't need to know the details. He knew his people could do what they promised.

Perfect Tommy looked at Tommy Boy.

The woman tried to shrug, but winced, her shoulder popping. Closing her eyes against the aches and pains of her banged up body, she answered "How long until you bring Pecos and Jersey back?" She tilted her head, opening her eyes, looking up at him.

Rawhide paused, his eyes locking with hers. His voice dropped so that only she could hear. "Knuckles says there could be hundreds of them. She found their tracks."

"She's usually right about tracks."

"You're hurt. Mrs. Johnson, Buckaroo…"

"Peggy and I can hold the ship." she assured.

Rawhide started to shake his head. "I'm not leaving you two here alone…"

"You'll need Buckaroo. We know at least Pecos is hurt. Most likely Sid will be too. Knuckles, Perfect Tommy, you… you three can handle the fight. Don't let Reno go after Pecos alone. He won't see the danger in her. And, Rawhide, Knuckles is right: Pecos is dangerous."

Rawhide's jaw stiffened. "I am not leaving you two…"

"Rawhide." TommyBoy's calm tone was enough to silence the man. "There is no choice. We have two missing and we're not leaving until we have them back."

Rawhide dropped his head. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Finally he finished securing the bandage around TommyBoy's wrist. "Wasn't plannin' on leavin' without them. Just….Get some sleep." Straightening up, he looked at Perfect Tommy and Reno who had stepped back to let the two talk. Both waited with held breath, waiting for orders. So, Rawhide gave them. "You both get some sleep while you can. I'll wake you when it's time to go."

Reno opened his mouth, but Perfect Tommy grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

Watching them go, Rawhide glanced back, without actually looking at his x-lover. "You know, Knuckles asked me earlier… could I kill a kid."

Tommy Boy waited a moment for his answer. When it didn't come, she wondered herself "Can you?"

Rawhide shook his head, but answered softly "Do I have a choice?"

* * *

His skin felt three feet thick. Every breath of his body felt so heavy that, if not laid just right, it might even crush itself. So heavy that no matter how he tried, New Jersey couldn't muster the strength to move just one finger.

He didn't remember waking up. He simply opened his eyes and there he was, staring up at a thatched roof.

All he could see was that roof, his head refusing to budge left or right.

All he could hear was the surging of blood through the veins in his temple.

He had no sense of time.

No coming…

No going….

No passing…

For a breath, he had thought Perfect Tommy had gotten him drunk again. Wouldn't be the first time he woke up in a strange place, blood pulsing through his head, the calling card of a hangover.

But there was no pain to go along with a hangover.

An image of a woman leaned over him, blocking the view of the thatched roof. Her long, blond hair fell on either side of her head, walling off the outside world, as if she was looking down a long, blond tunnel at the man below her. Her gray eyes with her porcelain skin and the slight blue tinge to her lips gave her a haunting look.

He wondered…

Was he… dead?

Was she a ghost?

An angel?

No, of course not! He was a doctor! A man of science! He dealt in matter of fact! Solid, living, breathing fact!

Besides…

Where was the bright light?

The tunnel?

The Herald, the harp, and all that other stuff Sunday school spoke so fondly of?

Swallowing, Jersey forced his lips to move. Calling on strength that simply wasn't there, he tried to ask "Who…" but could muster no sound.

A thin, pale finger laid over his lips. Her blue lips smiled before forming the word "Who?"

Jersey tried to nod, confirming his question, but could only blink.

In far too perfect English, she answered "My name is Katarina Himmler. I am the teacher." She removed her finger from his lips, folded her hands in her lap, and settled into a sitting position beside him on the bed. Her smile never wavering, her expression one of unchanging kindness and patients, she watched him, waiting.

Jersey didn't know how long it took him, but, eventually, he knew he could speak again. His voice rough as if he hadn't used it a very long time, he asked "Teacher? Of… children?"

"Yes, the children are my wards. And I am their teacher. Are you comfortable?"

Comfortable?

New Jersey wasn't sure how to answer that. He was aware of his body, he just couldn't feel it. He wasn't in pain. But he wasn't feeling great either.

Just what the hell did they do to him anyway?

Don't panic, he reminded himself. He was a doctor. He could sort through this. Figure it out.

Still, there were other questions…

"Are you a Jew?" Katarina suddenly asked, reaching out to run her fingers through his black curls.

Jersey blinked up at her. Jew? Why did she ask…

Himmler! They were all blond, light eyed and skin!

Nazis?

On a deserted island?

In the Atlantic?

Off South America?

Sixty years after the damn war?

Not to mention freaking cannibals?!

This was insane!

Sixty years ago! This woman… girl couldn't have been more than twenty… twenty-five if she watched what she ate. How could she be a Nazi?

But what other explanation was there?

"How?" was all he could think of to say.

As if she could follow his line of thought, she answered "They are Lebensborn children, the pure race. I am their teacher, chosen by the Fuhrer himself." She professed this with head held high, her pride untarnished by the years… as if the honor had been bestowed upon her only yesterday. "When the invaders threatened the Father Lands, our Fuhrer sent us forth to find safe lands, far from those who would contaminate the purity of our race."

Jersey felt sick. "Like Jews?" he snarled.

"So, you are a Jew." she concluded. "I am sorry then." She sighed, actually sounding truly sorry. "You could no longer have chosen your birth than you could have chosen not to have come here. Your parents should have made the decision to end their disease and not to bestow it upon their innocent children." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you a father?"

Jersey shook his head. "No." he breathed, caught somewhere between shock and disgust. "And… And I'm not Jewish. I was raised Catholic."

Her smile returned. "You are a wise man. You have saved future generations from a sad fate." Again the sad sigh. "You have done good in your life. You should be satisfied that you leave us a better world." With that, she leaned over him, laying a gentle, chaste kiss on his lips. Then she rose up, turned, and stepped away from the bed.

"Leave?" Jersey repeated. He knew that, even if he couldn't feel it, his heart skipped a beat. "Are… you going to… to…"

She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "To kill you? No. We do not kill." She looked at someone just out of Jersey's line of sight. "We harvest."

That someone leaned over the foot of the bed.

Jersey's eyes grew big. "Pecos?" he gasped. He would have sat up if he could move. "Pecos… are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"See?" Katarina breathed, her back still to the bed. "You are a good man."

Pecos' head tilted to the side. She took a hold of the cuff of his pant leg in one hand and the other used a long, saw-like knife to began sawing through the cloth.

"Pecos?" Jersey whispered. He knew the blade was sliding along his leg as it sawed through the material. He could almost feel it, but not quite. "Pecos, what are you doing?" he asked, trying to be calm, though his voice quivered.

The Cavalier didn't even look up at him as she laid open his pant leg. She looked at his leg, running a thumb down from the base of his knee to the top of his foot.

"Pecos… you are not well." Jersey tried to reason with her. "You are sick. I can help you. You know that. You know that I am your friend. Try to remember. You are strong. You can resist whatever is making you sick. I can help you."

With expertise that Jersey knew she could have only learned from Reno, she flipped the knife around her fingers until the sharp, deadly point aimed down. Her eyes never left the leg. She settled the point directly in the middle, just off the bottom of his knee cap.

"Pecos! Please!" Jersey hurried. "Please, you don't want to hurt me. You do not want to do this. Please…"

Her free hand came up, around, and, like a hammer, slammed down on the back of the knife.

Jersey screamed. Despite no pain, he could feel the knife cutting down through skin and muscle. He could feel it slip off the bone and continue down until it slipped through the skin of the back of his leg.

"Careful." Katarina cautioned, her back still to them. "Cut the bone clean." she instructed as if she was teaching one of her children how to draw the letter `a'. "Broken chips will hurt the meat."

Pecos glanced at her, then quickly returned her attention to her work.

"Oh, god!" Jersey cried. He could feel the teeth of the saw began work on the bone. "Pecos! Stop! God, Pecos, please…. stop!" he sobbed, squeezing his eyes close. Move! he screamed at his body, but it did not respond.

A new sensation rushed through his leg, replacing the knife.

Jersey sighed with relief.

She heard him!

He got through to her!

She stopped!

But, when he opened his eyes, his gut wrenched.

She hadn't stopped.

She had finished.

* * *

Buckaroo closed the door gently, careful not to wake the sleeping women inside. He paused, laying a hand flat against the door, closing his eyes.

After a breath, he wondered when he had started leaving prayers to god on doors of the women he loved.

"Question for a later date." he whispered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he pushed away from the door, turned, and walked out to face the next hurtle.

Reno and Tommy Boy were on the bridge. Reno was making sure that the last of the brace windows were secure across the glass. He gave them a good shake, before telling Tommy Boy "Rain nor wind nor rabid little rug rat is getting through this." he promised.

The woman took a deep breath, wincing as her bruised ribs protested. "Thanks." she managed. "We'll be alright." She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "We're all gonna be alright." And she just didn't mean the we that would be left behind in the Aurora, or the we that would be marching out to possible war.

Reno tried to smile, failed miserably, and found a change of subject when he spotted Buckaroo in the door way. "Hey, boss, how's our girl?" he asked.

Buckaroo sighed. Rubbing the palms of his hands on his hips, he answered "The bullet nicked her intestine, and lodged just below her stomach. Bullet came out clean. I repaired the nick. irrigated the wound to ward off any infection brought on by leakage from the intestine, recycled her spilt blood back into her system…"

"Buckaroo." Tommy Boy stopped him.

He turned tired eyes to look at her, amazed that he was able to keep them open wide enough to see her.

She smiled. "So, our girl's gonna be alright?"

He nodded slightly. "Yes… if we can get her to a hospital with the proper antiseptic… there is still a strong danger of infection." He closed his eyes and rubbed the ridge of his nose.

Reno and Tommy Boy exchanged glances. "How's the head?" Tommy Boy asked, pointing at the fresh stitches that Peggy masterfully woven into his scalp.

Buckaroo almost touched the stitches before he remembered there wasn't another doctor around to remind him not to. He dropped his hand and admitted "Mild concussion, killer headache, and a pint of aspirin. How's yours?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "How did Perfect Tommy put it? I… played bumper cars down a steal spiral."

"Bumper boats." Reno corrected. When the other two looked at him, he shrugged. "Who ever rides bumper boats?"

Tommy Boy chuckled. "Point being… I could be worse." She glanced out the window at the graying sky. "Sun's coming up. Knuckles and Rawhide are already outside picking a path."

Buckaroo nodded. "Time to hit the road." He grabbed his coat from the rack and looked at Reno. "Shall we?"

Reno was already heading down the steps.

Buckaroo paused to look back at Tommy Boy.

"Knuckles cocked every gun in the house for me. Oddity is sitting guard, and you can't get into this joint even with a key." Tommy Boy assured one more person. "We'll be fine. Go get our people."

The doctor offered her a slight smile, before heading down the steps.

* * *

The rain had lessoned until it was only a continues drizzle, somewhere between a rain drop and a heavy mist. It seeped under their cloaks, through their slickers, into their boots. The only thing safe from the icy cold wet were the guns tightly and carefully wrapped in oiled leather holsters, waterproofed with wax.

No longer caring about the mud, Knuckles dropped to one knee.

Instantly the men behind her froze, their eyes scanning the rainforest about them for any sign of the enemy.

But Knuckles' attention was on the ground.

There!

Under the crumpled leaf and the handful of wind blown twigs.

A smooth half circle, deep in the back, lighter as it rolled forward. Deeper to the back left.

Knuckles brushed her fingers over it.

The edges were stiff. The print was hours old. old enough that, even in this constant wet, it had seasoned.

"Morning was warm." she mumbled to herself.

"Yea, well, that's one thing this place will never be short on."

Frowning, Knuckles glanced up and back at Perfect Tommy who stood almost directly over her, watching her back as she read the trail.

The youngest Cavalier shrugged. "Never run out of warm showers here abouts. All you have to do is step outside."

Knuckles sighed. "It means that despite the wet, the track can still be seasoned. I can tell about how long ago the track was laid, how old the trail is." she explained.

"And how old is it?" Perfect Tommy wanted to know.

"They came straight from the Aurora, through here…" she indicated the dear path they were on. "and continued almost in a straight line South East." She pointed forward.

Perfect Tommy looked forward, but all he could see were more trees and mist.

Knuckles rose up again. "They're headed toward high ground."

"There's high ground on this rock?" Tommy didn't remember seeing anything that resembled high ground.

But the bounty hunter sighed. "We've been moving up for the last three hours, oh great genius. Pay more attention to your environment." She look pass him to where Buckaroo stood several yards back, waiting for her to signal the all clear before he moved forward. Directly behind him was Reno, covering the boss' back. Several yards behind them, out of sight of Knuckles' keen eye, yet still in sight of Reno, was Rawhide, bringing up the rear.

"Buckaroo needs a minute." she mumbled, watching the doctor sway slightly, still feeling the effects of his head wound. She held up five fingers, telling the men to take five.

Reno instantly started to protest, but Buckaroo laid a hand on his arm, quieting him, and pulling him down with him as he crouched down.

Still watching the men that followed her, Knuckles picked up a twig, twisting it in her fingers.

Perfect Tommy followed her gaze. "Knuckles?" he called to her softly.

"Huh?" Knuckles mumbled, only half hearing him.

Perfect Tommy crouched down, leaning to the side so that he blocked her view. "Knuckles?" he asked again, wanting her attention.

Her eye brows rose as she turned her eyes up to look at him. "Tom." she answered.

The young Cavalier licked his lips. "Why haven't they killed yet?" he wanted to know. "I mean… They could have, you know. If there are as many of them as you think, and the way they go in and out of sight, and Pecos had half of us down before we even knew there was a reason to wake up, and…"

"And you say 'and' too many times." Knuckles cut him off.

Perfect Tommy clamped his mouth shut.

Knuckles shook her head. "These aren't children, Tom. They're animals. Pack hunters. They're hunting us down, wearing us out, immobilizing us… Look at what they went after: Pecos' hand, Rawhide's arm, TommyBoy's leg. They're immobilizing us, bringing us down one by one so we can't fight back."

"Why?" was all Perfect Tommy could think to ask.

The girl shrugged. "Some animals like their meat fresh. maybe they're keeping us alive so they…"

Tommy shook his head. "No. Why are you so calm?"

Knuckles stopped and looked at him. "Because." she answered, her tone as calm as if she polishing glasses behind the bar of her Jessie James Club. "I have to be." Not waiting for anything more on the topic to be said, she rose up. "Let's keep moving."

* * *

"Peggy." Tommy Boy called. She leaned against the door frame, taking some of the weight off her leg. "Peggy, come here."

Instantly Peggy appeared in the hall, a small pistol in her hand. She quickly glanced about. "What happened?" she asked, finally looking at Tommy Boy. "Are you alright?"

Tommy Boy almost smiled at the lady Banzai's readiness for action. If there wasn't a reason for it, she would have almost considered it cute.

Sure, she knew Peggy could handle herself in most fights. It's just she looked like such a cute little Skipper doll.

With a gun.

Not the usual Barbie and friends' accessories.

"I'm fine." Tommy Boy assured.

Peggy looked around again. "Who's on watch?" she wanted to know.

"Oddity. He'll let us know if he sees anything." Tommy Boy answered. She glanced to where the dog was sitting on the floor of the bridge, his eyes fixated on the storm beyond the big windows.

Oddity hadn't moved since Knuckles had left him with the order "Stay! Guard!" And he wouldn't move until she released him from the order.

Or something gave him a reason to guard them from.

Peggy relaxed a little. Sliding her pistol back into her belt holster, she crossed the room to where Tommy Boy stood leaning against the door frame leading into the armory. "How's the leg?" she wanted to know, taking her arm and nodding to the seat just inside the door.

Tommy Boy let her back her into the chair, happy to get the weight off her leg. Not that it was any worse, but, in the last twenty four hours, she had been slashed then thrown down a spiral staircase. Tended to make one just a little bit sore.

Not that she was going to give Peggy anything else to worry about.

"I'm fine." Tommy Boy assured. "How's our girl?"

Peggy crouched down beside the chair, leaning her back against the door frame. With a tired sigh, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Tommy Boy stiffened. That wasn't a good sigh. "Peggy, how is Mrs. Johnson?" she asked again.

Peggy rubbed her eyes. "Fever. Means infection." She looked up at Tommy Boy. "She needs a hospital."

"We'll get her one." Tommy Boy promised. She reached out and squeezed her shoulder, trying to reassure her.

"Yea." Peggy mumbled, not at all sounding convinced. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at her friend. "Did you want me for something?" she asked, wanting to get back to her girl.

Tommy Boy nodded, waving a hand at the computer in front of her. "I wanted to show you this. It's the Aurora's Quarter A.I. Pilot." she explained.

Peggy took a look at the small, yet complicated looking, computer system.

There were two small keyboards and four small screens, three in a row on the bottom, the fourth, slightly larger, above.

"Ah. Was wondering where that was." She frowned.

Tommy Boy chuckled. "Laymen's terms?"

"Oh, please, would ya?"

With a few keystrokes, the middle computer screen showed a digital image of the Aurora's steering ball. The left screen showed a world map. The right showed a number of different scales marked from engine temp. to wind sheer to elevation and compass. The largest of the screens showed six different views of the outside of the ship from cameras of the prop deck at the top of the Aurora.

"From here, anyone with a little know-how can control the Aurora." Tommy Boy went on to explain. "The Quarter A.I. Pilot needs only destination and ultimate decision making. The computer does all the calculating, the redirecting, the course corrections, and even gives you options, ranking from most recommended down, for any situation you can think of." She smiled. "Perfect Tommy even threw in a space invaders what-if."

Peggy huffed. "Yea, like that never happens to us." She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway… All you have to do is tell it where to go and follow recommended behavior…"

"Woe." Peggy stopped her. "That `all you have to do' thing is just figurative, right?" she wanted to know. "You don't actually mean me, right? We're just shooting the breeze, here. Passing time."

Tommy Boy sighed. "Look, Peggy, we're going to make it. Everything is going to be alright. But… if we don't, if everything isn't going to be alright, then you need to know how to fly this thing." She waved a hand at the armory. "This room was built as a safe box. When the door is shut and sealed from the inside, nothing is getting in here. Hell, the Aurora could sink to the bottom of the ocean floor and the A.I. can still cycle air through the tanks and keep you alive for a few days."

"But it won't!" Peggy quickly snapped. She rose to her feet sharply. "'Cause it won't have to! And I won't have to fly this boat!" She started to turn to leave, but TommyBoy grabbed her arm.

"Peggy," she continued as if Peggy hadn't said anything. "As well as piloting the Aurora, the A.I. keeps contact with every go-phone within it's range. When the crew gets back, I'll set the go-phones to life alert. If anyone gets severely wounded, you can read it here and direct us to where to help."

Peggy's head tilted. "Can we see them now? Buckaroo? And the others?"

Tommy Boy shook her head. "With satellite we could pick them up a good fifteen hundred miles away. But whatever's blocking everything else that would be the least bit helpful, is blocking that too. We had signal for a mile or so before we lost them… about when the highest antenna probably lost the line of sight with their go-phones' output."

For a moment they were both quiet, neither able to help but think about their friends and family, where they were, what they were heading into.

* * *

He kicked a rock, sending it tumbling over the edge. It bounced and rolled down the canyon wall, crashing through bushes and bouncing off trees, until it was finally swallowed up by a rushing river some five hundred-fifty feet down.

Swallowing hard, Perfect Tommy looked at Knuckles. "That is a long, long ways down."

"No shit, Sherlock." Knuckles grumbled. "And you kick another rock, and you'll follow it down." She rose up from her crouch. "If you're gonna announce to the world we're coming, you might as well do it in person." Her eyes scanned the canyon that stretched out before them, seemingly to cut the island in half. "Might end up doing just that anyway." she mumbled.

Tommy smiled slightly. "Gee, you're pleasant." he offered. When she didn't answer, he shrugged and asked "So? Where'd them little buggers go?"

She nodded across the canyon.

The Cavalier frowned. "What? They flew across?" He gazed down at the river below, mumbling "Don't tell me they can do that too."

Knuckles glanced at him, rolled her eyes, and wondered "How do you even survive without a high rise and Starbucks?"

"God only knows." Tommy admitted. "Anyhow…?"

"Anyhow…" She pointed to the ground at the very edge of the cliff. "They turned left here, for about, oh, twelve feet, give or take an inch or two, and then they crossed. On that." She pointed.

West of them, twelve feet, give or take an inch or two, was a raggedy looking rope bridge that stretched across the canyon, disappearing into the thick vines and jagged rocks of the cliff face on the other side. Streams flowed off the top of the cliff high above the bridge, raining down as if the beginnings of a water fall.

"Woe." Perfect Tommy breathed, eyes going big. "You know, Six Flags would pay a fortune for this little tidbit of jungle furniture."

"They can have it." Rawhide grumbled as he came up behind the two. He looked over the top of their heads and eyed the bridge. "Knuckles… what's our options here?"

Eyes wide with disbelief, she looked up at him. "We have options?"

"Ha!" Perfect Tommy shook his head. "Always have options. It's good ones that are rare."

Rawhide glanced at the kid and frowned. But then he returned his attention to the bounty hunter. "Knuckles?"

"Rope bridge." Knuckles pointed. "Cross it, we'll be exposed to the far side. But if we find our own way it could take hours"

"If not forever." Tommy added.

"We don't have hours." Rawhide growled. "Sure as hell don't have forever."

"Bridge it is." Knuckles snatched Tommy's arm, making him look at her. "I have the lead. You: five yards behind me. Move slowly. Step where I step. Stay down."

"Yea, yea." Perfect Tommy groaned. "Classic stalker moves." He grinned. "Not like you're the first girl I've ever stalked, you know."

"Yea." Rawhide grumbled. He didn't like this, but, then again, there sure hadn't been a hell of a lot to like. So, he might as well get down to business. "Step carefully. Stay low." he ordered.

"Ah, ya big, ol', squishy cowboy." Perfect Tommy coed. "Didn't know ya gave a snoot full."

"Hey!" Rawhide snapped, snatching him by the shoulder and dragging him close. "This isn't a game, boy."

There was nothing amusing in Perfect Tommy's expression as he looked up at the man and answer with "Ya think ah'd have picked up on that."

Rawhide stared at him for a breath, before releasing him and stepping back. "Just… step careful. Lost too many Cavaliers this day."

"We haven't lost them yet." Knuckles corrected. "But longer we stand around chatting…"

"Yea, yea, yea." Tommy cut her off, finally looking away from Rawhide.

"Yea." Rawhide agreed. "Stay close to each other. I'll ride herd on the Boss. Let Reno's rifle keep an eye on the far shore." He turned and stepped back into the trees to fill in the last two of their hunting party.

As soon as he was gone, Knuckles asked "You gonna stick with me?"

Perfect Tommy glanced at her sharply. "Ah'm here, ain't ah?!"

"No." she answered. "You're where ever Jersey is." She jabbed a finger at him. "And that'll get us killed."

"Ah'm right here!" he snapped back.

Knuckles shook her head. "Then why you try to go toe to toe with Rawhide?" She stepped up, facing off with him. "Why you trying with me?"

For a breath, Perfect Tommy's jaw stiffened, his fists doubling up. "This ain't ma fault." he snarled.

The girl's head tilted to one side. "Yea… and if you'd stop saying that, you'd notice no one's blaming you." She blinked those green eyes of hers. "'Cept you."

Perfect Tommy jerked back as if he'd been hit.

But Knuckles grabbed his coat lapel and jerked him back. "Snap out of it, Tommy. This isn't your fault. You built a good ship. But shit happens. Even on the good ship lollypop. You want to survive, you want to save Jersey and Pecos, then leave the damn guilt trip already and snap to!" She spun about and started down the slim path, growling as she went "Don't you get it? We need you."

For a moment he stood there, staring at her back. But then he grinned. "You need me?"

Not turning her head, Knuckles smiled. "Shut up."

Perfect Tommy started down the trail behind her. "You love me." he accused.

"Shut up!"

* * *

A feather light touch brushed across his eye lids.

Jersey flinched. "please…." he whispered.

"Shhhh…." Katarina hushed, smiling gently down at him. "Be still, my friend. Rest easy." Her soft touch brushed the hair away from his face.

Forcing himself to look up at her, he begged again "Please…. Please, let her go."

Katarina tilted her head to one side, allowing her long, blond hair fall like a curtain around them. "The girl? You ask for her sake… even now?" She sighed. "I continue to be amazed at the goodness within you."

"Pecos… she's done what you wanted. Let her go." He closed his eyes again, trying to call on what strength he had left to beg for his friend. "Please… she needs her family."

"Family?!" The woman's laughter was gentle and sweet sounding, music to the ear. "Dear doctor, she is free to go any time she wishes. She simply chooses to stay. After all… we are her family now."

Desperation gripped Jersey's chest, sending tears leaping to his eyes. He clung to his need to save Pecos. It was all he had left. He knew that he would never leave this hut, never leave this island. But his family, his friends… "God, please…"

She leaned closer, brushing her red lips across his forehead. "Do not worry yourself any longer, sweet man. She is safe. And, soon, you will be free."

* * *

Parting the vines, Knuckles stepped through the streams of water and off the far end of the bridge. Instantly she dropped to a crouch, her revolver coming up. But she stopped just short of pulling the trigger.

Directly in front of her, dangling from the rock that jutted out of the mountain and over the end of the bridge, was a skeleton. It hung, trapped by seat straps and strips of rotting cloth that had once been some sort of uniform.

"Ah don't think you're gonna need to shoot that one." Perfect Tommy observed as he came up behind her.

Rising up, Knuckles returned her weapon to its holster. "Yea, well, who said it's all about need?"

Tommy reached up to tap the skull, but, thinking better of it, wiped his hand on his coat. "Gotta give them credit, though. Little buggers sure know how to do the whole forbidden island thing. Think we can get a couple o' them to decorate the Institute next Halloween?"

"Sure." Knuckles shrugged as she stepped off the end of the bridge and began to walk the tree line and jutting rocks around them, looking for a path. "Feed them an intern or two and they won't mind decking your halls with body parts here and there." She paused, reaching up. "Tom… Can you reach that?" she asked, pointing up, just pass the skeleton where a wad of material was entangled in some vines and something… odd looking for their jungle surroundings.

Perfect Tommy frowned. "Do I have to?" One look from the girl, and he sighed. Standing on his toes, he reached up over her head. He squeezed his eyes close and made a face when his elbow bumped the rib cage out of the way. "Ew, ew, ew…" he complained, but managed to get his fingers around a strip of the material and yanked. "Ew, ew, ew…" he continued, dropping it just as quick as he could in Knuckles waiting hands.

"You are such a city boy." she accused with a chuckle.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"SS." Knuckles mumbled as she turned the cloth in her hands.

"Social Services? You telling me the kids are on welfare? In the system? Damn the modern foster care!" Perfect Tommy slammed his fist in the palm of his hand.

"She's saying they're Nazis." Rawhide answered as he stepped off the bridge just behind Buckaroo.

Knuckles handed him the badge before turning her attention to the rock wall around them.

"Ah." Tommy held up a hand. "So, explains the blond, blue eyes, and homicidal tenancies. But, umm, don't they look pretty good for WWII vets?"

"There are some beliefs that eating human flesh can keep you ageless… or practically so." Buckaroo offered.

"Like vampires?" Tommy asked. "Explains why this fella's hanging from the rafters."

"Maybe. Or maybe that is." Buckaroo leaned over the edge. "Is that a plane down there?"

His three Cavaliers looked over the edge.

On the opposite side of the canyon, jutting out of the rocks as if the land had grown around it, was a broken propeller, a plane seat, a wheel, and other bits of smashed and scattered remains of an age old air craft.

"Nooo, that is not a plane." Perfect Tommy observed. "That is parts of a plane."

Knuckles crouched down and leaned a little further out until Rawhide grabbed the collar of her coat to anchor her. "I don't think anyone survived that. Bits and pieces are scattered from here to forever."

Rawhide agreed. "Came in hard and fast. Maybe shot down. Maybe brought down by a storm like we were."

"Maybe the little buggers ate their pilot." Perfect Tommy suggested.

Rawhide looked at Tommy. "Any other day, on any other island, and I would bop you in the head…"

Something hit the toe of Knuckles' boot. Frowning, she looked down to discover a little hand wrapped around the end of her boot. "What the hell…" she started, but stopped when another little hand reached up from below the edge and grabbed the front of her coat. Suddenly, Knuckles was yanked off the edge.

"Rawhide, hold her!" Buckaroo yelled, leaping for Knuckles, but he was cut off by a child jumping up.

Crouching down like a tiger, a jagged knife in each hand, the child bared his blood stained teeth in a snarl at the doctor.

"Son of a…" Rawhide was jerked forward, almost loosing his footing as Knuckles' entire weight was suddenly hanging from his one handed hold on her coat. Digging in his heals, he tried to wrap his free arm around her and pull her back.

But a little blond boy leaped up to where Knuckles' feet used to be and swung a knife at Rawhide, cutting through the glove along the back of his hand.

Rawhide cursed, almost losing his grip.

"Hey!" Perfect Tommy shouted, grabbing the boy by the shoulder and throwing him back against the edge of the bridge and away for Rawhide and Knuckles. Shaking his finger at him, the Cavalier told the little attacker "That's not playing nice!"

The boy's response was a snarl and jab with his knife, which Perfect Tommy easily danced away from.

Buckaroo quickly freed the dart pistol and aimed it at his small attacker. "Back off!" he ordered, hoping that, despite it all, the kid would obey.

Instead, he leaped at the doctor, swinging his arms in a scissor like attack, aiming the knives at either side of Buckaroo's knees.

Buckaroo stepped back, firing his weapon.

The dart hit him in the chest, slamming him back a step, stopping his attack in mid swing. Confused, he looked down at the dart. Dropping one of his weapons, he reached up and pulled the missile from his chest and held it up for a good look. After a moment, he tossed it over the edge as if it had been nothing more than an irritation, and turned his full attention back to the doctor.

"Deuces…" Buckaroo hissed.

Rawhide dropped to his knees, trying to get leverage to pull Knuckles back up. But the girl was kicking and fighting with the attackers that dangled from her legs. He could feel her coat tarring as she swung. It wasn't designed for this type of abuse. As his shoulders began to burn, Rawhide had to admit that neither was he. "Kick, girl, kick!" he yelled.

One little girl hung from the front of her coat, her little legs wrapped around one of Knuckles' thighs. She snapped her sharp little teeth at the Cavalier, trying to dig them into some flesh, but Knuckles kept smacking away her attacks.

The boy dangling from her leg had pulled himself up just enough to get his teeth around the toe of her boot and was trying to gnaw through it. Another was braced against the wall of the cliff, tugging on their victim, trying to pull her down.

"Get off, you little brat!" Knuckles screamed at them, doing her best to kick her legs. But there was too much weight hanging off of her, making it hard to move.

Suddenly there was a boom.

The little girl snapped back. Her attacks stopped and she starred up at Knuckles with big, blue eyes. A trail of blood rolled down her forehead, then she was falling away.

Knuckles breath caught in her throat as she watched the child fall.

Another shot and Buckaroo's attacker was falling over the edge too.

"Reno!" Rawhide yelled for help as he felt the ground begin to slide under his knees.

Reno raised his weapon as Buckaroo ran in front of him, then he stepped up to the edge again and took aim at one of the boys that had a hold on Knuckles' legs.

Buckaroo dropped to the ground beside Rawhide. Laying on his belly, he reached over to grab Knuckles' shoulder. "Give me your hand!"

"Get the fuck off!" Knuckles shouted, kicking with all her might, slamming the little gnawer against the rock wall.

It was enough to dislodge him from her boot, but he just gripped the vines that grew up the cliff. It freed one of his hands to pull out his knife.

Reno's toes hung over the edge as he aimed his rifle straight down. With an eerie calm, he squeezed the trigger, sending a large bullet straight down, through the top of the small boy's head, and out his chin. With only the slightest of adjustments, he fired again, sending the second boy falling to disappear somewhere in the debris and brush below.

Rawhide glanced at the man, shocked, a little sick even, that he had just killed four small children. But then he had to turn back to Knuckles. "Come on, girl. Help us out here." he growled. Grinding his teeth, he pulled.

Knuckles reached up and grabbed Buckaroo's hand. Bracing her feet against the wall, she started to walk up the rock.

Perfect Tommy continued to dance around his little attacker, avoiding the knife thrusts. "Come on, you little bugger. Isn't it 'bout time you did that little disappearing thing, back into…"

The boy lunged at him.

But, before he could reach his target, a shot sounded, slamming him forward to his knees, the front of his head exploding, showering Perfect Tommy in a spray of blood. Then he fell, face down at the Cavalier's feet.

Perfect Tommy snapped back as if the bullet had hit him too. For a moment he just stood, staring at the child at his feet, unsure what had happened.

Reno stepped up to his side and nudged the body with the toe of his boot. Then he looked up at his friend. "You okay?" he asked.

Perfect Tommy turned his head to look at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Ah'm… " he started, but, with a dead child at his feet, a dead child's blood splattered across his face and hands, the question seemed the most absurd thing he had ever heard. And that absurdness pissed him off.

"What the fuck?!" he suddenly roared, grabbing Reno by the shirt front, and spinning him around until he slammed him into a tree. "What the fuck did you do? What the fuck is wrong with you? You just killed a kid!"

"Perfect Tommy!" Rawhide snapped, but he was too busy pulling Knuckles up to intervene.

"You son of a bitch!" Perfect Tommy continued, nearly insane with rage and shock. "You killed a kid! A little kid!"

Still calm, Reno answered "He would have killed you."

"Ah don't give a shit! You don't hurt kids! You don't hit them! You don't beat them! You sure as hell don't shoot them!" With every sentence, he slammed his friend against the tree.

Reno reached up and grabbed Perfect Tommy's jaw, dragging his face close to his. "I am not your father. These… things are not you. And you are not alone." he whispered.

Perfect Tommy's jaw snapped shut and he stared at him until Rawhide grabbed his shoulder and jerked him back.

"That's enough! There is plenty enough to ruin this damn vacation without the two of you going at it!" Rawhide snapped, giving each of them a glare. Looking them both over, satisfying himself that they were both alright… physically anyways… he ordered "Tommy, see to Knuckles. Back on the move soon as she can pick up the trail."

Perfect Tommy licked his lips, hesitating, but Knuckles called to him. She wanted him away from Reno just as much as Rawhide did. So, with a last glare at Reno, he turned and joined Buckaroo and Knuckles.

Knuckles sat on the ground, her legs stretched out in front of her. Buckaroo crouched at her feet, making sure the only damage done was to her boot. When Tommy got close, Knuckles reached up and dragged him down to a crouch beside her. Her eyes darted over him, doing a quick inventory. "Are you hurt?" she wanted to know.

Perfect Tommy shook his head. But the movement made him suddenly dizzy. Falling forward until he was on his knees, he dropped his head down on her shoulder and closed his eyes.

Knuckles sighed. She laid her cheek on his head, taking a minute for just her and him. She couldn't help, even for just a breath, to think what she would be doing just right now if the blood had been his? Or if he had been bitten instead of Pecos? Or if he had gone over the edge? Or…

"Well, it's official." Buckaroo announced, giving her boot a swat.

Shaking themselves out of their thoughts, Knuckles and Perfect Tommy looked at him.

The doctor smiled. "Soon as we get home… steel toed boots for everyone!"

Perfect Tommy's eye brows raised. "Just incase we get ship wrecked on another not so deserted island filled with cannibal first graders?"

"Ever seen a New York Grammar school?" Knuckles wondered.

Buckaroo chuckled. Digging into his coat, he produced a camouflage handkerchief and soaked it with water from his canteen. "Knuckles, better find our path." he advised, handing the wet cloth to Tommy. Rising to his feet, he offered his hands down to her and pulled her up.

Knuckles hesitated, giving Perfect Tommy a glance.

"I'll stay with him." Buckaroo promised.

With a sigh and a nod, Knuckles stepped pass him and joined Rawhide.

The big cowboy was just sending Reno back across the bridge.

"He okay?" Knuckles wondered.

Rawhide shook his head, but said "He'll be fine when he gets Pecos back home." He adjusted his Stetson before looking at the girl. "I sent him to set some charges along the bridge. 'Case our way back is a bit more hurried than we'd like." He gave her the once over, before getting down to business. "Please tell me that our next step isn't down that cliff."

Knuckles took a moment to look around their surroundings. "There's a path to the left of Von Skinny there." She waved a hand at the hanging skeleton. "Tree line shows it leads up a ways but then levels off. Leveling off means habitats. I'm thinking these critters were some sort of perimeter guard. Might be a couple of more, but I don't think they're really worried about _us_ attacking _them."_

"_What are the chances that the whole habitat wasn't put on its heals by the gun fire?"_

"_If they're listening, they heard." _

* * *

_The trail lead up the east side of the mountain to the very top of the island where they found a small, shallow valley. The valley walls were spotted with large boulders, thorny vines, and smoldering chunks of plane parts. On the most northern side, at the highest point, was one single hut. The floor of the valley was blackened as if all life had been burned away. At the center was a large bonfire. And dancing and playing around the fire, their little feet kicking up the ashes and sparks, were hundreds of blond, light eyed children._

"_Ah'm feelin' just a bit out numbered here." Perfect Tommy mumbled. "Out numbered, out gunned, out blond…"_

"_We get it." Knuckles growled. "More of them than us. We knew that before we headed out."_

"_Yea, well knowin' an' seein'…" Tommy let the sentence die._

_Buckaroo's head raised, sniffing at the air. "Smells like fuel and… and…"_

"_Burnt flesh." Reno breathed. "The ground's still burning here. The plane parts… like it hit here yesterday…"_

"'_Cept for the unburned, little hut and the unburned murderous horde of children." Tommy pointed out._

_Rawhide pushed back his Stetson. "You'd think it'd be pretty damn easy to pick out a pair of full grown brunettes in a crowd of half pint blonds."_

"_You'd think." Buckaroo agreed._

"_Well, maybe they're not down there." Reno snapped. "Maybe they're not even here! Maybe we dillydallied around so long they're already dead and we should just run on down there and start blowing the crap out of anything and everything that moves!" Saying the last, he hiked his rifle to his shoulder and took aim at the crowd of children below._

"_Reno, wait!" Buckaroo grabbed the rifle's trigger guard, keeping him from firing. "Look at me!" he ordered. _

_Reno's dark eyes snapped about to glare at him. His teeth ground together as if it took every bit of will he had not to simply beat Buckaroo out of his way._

_But Buckaroo pushed the barrel down until it was pointing at the ground. He stepped close so that he was a mere breath from his Cavalier. "Don't give up on her. Don't give up on hope. When there is nothing more in the world to hang on to, you have to hang on to hope. You have to!"_

_Reno's eyes narrowed. "Buckaroo," he whispered, "you know how when Peggy is warm and safe and, even if you don't know it… you know it? You could have half the world of bad asses wailing away on you, but you know it. You feel it. You feel warm and safe right there with her." He tilted his head to one side. "You know what I feel? I feel cold, empty… She isn't there. She isn't here. Whatever we find, it won't be her warm and safe. It won't be Pecos."_

_Rawhide leaned in and asked "'Fore we come to any conclusions like that, think we might ask that young gal a question or two?" He nodded pass them._

_A woman in a long, flowing, white gown had stepped out of the hut. She was a beautiful, elegant, white silhouette, long blond hair framing her like a glowing aura. All she needed was a pair of white feathered wings, and the rescue party could have believed she was an angel._

_But then her head turned and she looked directly at them. _

_Even from that distance they could see her gray eyes sparkle, her blue lips smile._

_Each one of the Cavaliers froze where they were, their chests tightening in sudden fear, as if she had reached into their ribcages and grabbed their hearts in her icy cold fingers. No one tried to hide or get out of sight. They simply didn't move, didn't even breath. Even their thoughts had frozen._

_And then she looked away. Her gown flowing about her legs, she seemingly floated down the valley wall, descending upon the bonfire like a god descending on a summons._

"_Holy crap in a hand bag." Knuckles breathed, shattering the silence. _

"_Anyone else have the sudden urge to hike up their skirts and run off into the woods, screaming like some b-movie prom queen being chased by a hockey masked mad man swinging her football captain boyfriend's severed head, her virgin white panties still in his teeth?" Perfect Tommy wondered in a hushed tone._

_Rawhide turned and glared at him. "You couldn't just say you were scared?"_

_Perfect Tommy shook his head. "No. No, sir, scared did not cover that!"_

"_Focus, people." Buckaroo growled more at himself than the others. "What's the chances our full grown brunettes would be in the same place the only other full grown on this damn island came from?"_

"_That's the destination, boys and girls." Rawhide called the team to attention. "Stay together. Stay with the team." He said the last with a pointed look at Reno._

_The hut was made of slim branches with a straw thatched roof. There was only one opening, a doorway facing down into the valley. Shallow steps lead the way down to the bonfire, carved out of stone and dirt. Smoking chunks of fuselage stood on either side of the steps just a few feet from the doorway like a pair of sentinels._

_Rawhide ducked behind one of the sentinels, nodded to Reno to do the same. If Pecos was in that hut, he didn't want Reno to be the first to see. After all, no guards. What shape were prisoners in when they no longer needed guards?_

_But Reno ignored him, pressing his back to the wall of the hut and peering in._

_Grinding his teeth, Rawhide jerked his head to Knuckles, sending her to the other sentinel instead._

_Buckaroo followed close behind Reno, the dart pistol at the ready. Perfect Tommy came in last._

_The three men stopped for a moment, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness of the hut. _

_Everything was shadow. The shadow of the walls. The shadow of the three men standing in the doorway. The shadow of the cot. The shadow of the small form lying on it._

_Reno was the first to move, taking four quick steps to the foot of the cot. Despite his gut feeling, his empty heart, he couldn't help but hope just a little. "Pecos…" he started, but stopped cold._

_Seeing every muscle in the man go ridged, Buckaroo's heart sank. "Pecos." he whispered her name, feeling a little of what Reno felt: she was gone from them. They had lost a Cavalier._

_Taking a deep breath, steeling himself away for what might be waiting, Buckaroo Banzai stepped up to the side of the cot. _

_It wasn't what he had expected._

_At first glance he had thought it was one of the children. Surely it wasn't long enough to be a full grown human…_

_Then his gut flipped and he couldn't breath._

_He laid there, blinking up at the thatched roof, his pale lips moving but producing no sound. One arm was laid out beside him, fingers stretched out so ridged that they were tilted back. His other arm…._

_There was no other arm._

_His right sleeve was torn up the seam to the shoulder and laid open. But there was no arm below the shoulder socket. His pant legs were laid open. His legs were gone below the knees. Stitched over each amputation was a tan, leather patch._

"_Is that pig skin?" Reno asked in an emotionless tone._

"_Ah'm gonna be sick." Perfect Tommy suddenly turned and fled the hut._

_Buckaroo looked up at Reno. He opened his mouth to say something, anything… but nothing came out. _

_What the hell was there to say?! _

_Swallowing down his own bile, he turned back to the cot and his friend. He laid a hand on Jersey's cheek. "Hey, Sid. Can you hear me?" he called softly._

_His eyes shifted sharply, snapping to Buckaroo. Though they looked up at him, they were cloudy, unfocused. "P…p… please…" he struggled to speak. "Please… let her go."_

_Reno's head snapped up. "Her?"_

"_Sid, it's me. It's Buckaroo. You're safe now." Buckaroo tried to sooth. "I'm gonna take you home."_

_His brow scrunched up. "Buck… Buckaroo…?" Jersey gasped._

"_I'm here, buddy."_

_But Reno stepped up to the side of the cot and demanded "What did he mean her? Is he talking about Pecos?"_

_Jersey flinched. "Pecos… please… get her away… save her… forgive her…"_

_Reno stiffened. "Forgive?" he repeated. "Forgive her for what?"_

_Buckaroo let his gaze drift down Jersey's body, stopping at where his legs ended. In a flash he was struck with images of pulling the bullet out of Mrs. Johnson's body. "Sid…" Closing his eyes, he prayed he was wrong. "Sid, did Pecos do this?"_

_Jersey's eyes closed. "Please!…. She didn't mean to hurt me… she didn't mean to hurt anyone… Please… save her…" he cried softly._

_Buckaroo looked up at Reno sharply, hoping that he would tell him that he was wrong, that Sid was just confused, that…_

_Did Pecos do this to him?_

_Reno Nevada stared back at him for a breath, then turned on his heal and walked out of the hut._

_Knuckles' head snapped about when she heard the sudden shuffling of feet coming out of the hut. _

_Perfect Tommy stared at her for half a breath, before tarring his eyes away. He was so pale. His breath came in quick, struggled gasps. His knees tremble so that he had to grab the hut to stay upright._

_Knuckles had never seen anything that scared as much as he did right then. Quickly rising up out of her cover, she started for him, her hand held out. "Tom? Tom, what's wrong?"_

_But he held his own hand up, stopping her. Sliding around the corner of the hut, he bent over and gagged._

_Rawhide looked away from his post when Knuckles' spoke. When he spotted Perfect Tommy, he also came to his feet. "Knuckles." he called, taking her arm and stopping her advance. "Keep an eye on the party." He nodded back to the crowd around the bonfire below. _

_She glanced up at him. Then, with another glance at Tommy, she sank back down at her post, and turned back._

_With nothing in his belly to give up, Perfect Tommy gagged until he was dizzy and had to sit down. Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the hut, and struggled to breath._

_Rawhide crouched down beside him. "Hey, kid." he whispered. Reaching out, he laid a hand over his heart. _

_It felt as if it would beat right out of the kid's chest. His breathing wasn't much better. Rawhide moved his hand to the back of Tommy's neck. "Slow it down, Tommy. Slow, deep breaths." he encouraged. _

_For a moment, Perfect Tommy said nothing as he struggled to control his breathing. He could hear Rawhide encouraging him, but his words didn't make any sense. All he could think about, all he saw was Jersey… what was left of him… _

_Blinking tears, Tommy finally looked up at him. "They… they cut him, Rawhide."_

_Rawhide's fingers stiffened on his neck. There was only one `he' Tommy could be talking about. But he needed to hear Tommy say it. Tommy needed to say it. "Who?"_

_But it was Reno who answered. Standing against the hut just behind Rawhide, he said in dead voice "Pecos cut Jersey up."_

"_What?" Rawhide looked up at him sharply. "Cut him up how?"_

"_His… his legs… his arm…" Tommy shook his head, squeezing his eyes close._

_Knuckles couldn't ignore that. "What the fuck…?" she demanded._

_Rawhide slowly stood. "Knuckles, take care of them." he ordered, knowing only an order would keep her focused… he hoped. "Reno, keep watch." Then he stepped away and into the hut._

_Reno looked down at Perfect Tommy. He patted his shoulder. "It's alright, kid." he offered._

_Tommy just dragged his knees to his chest and buried his face in his hands._

_Reno didn't blink. He turned and stepped up behind the chunk of fuselage that had been Rawhide's post. _

_Knuckles stared at him from her post. "Reno…" she started, but stopped when she realized she might not actually want any answers. But Rawhide had told her to take care of them. And that meant she needed to know. She needed to know. Licking her lips, she started again "Is he… alive?"_

_Reno chuckled. "Guess that's a matter of opinion." _

_Knuckles' blinked. Did he just laugh? _

_Reno glanced at her, then quickly turned his attention to the bonfire. "Tommy needs you." he told her as he lifted his rifle to his shoulder and took a bead on one of the many little figures below._

_For a moment Knuckles continued to stare at him. But then she looked for Perfect Tommy. "Tom." she whispered. Scrambling across the ground to his side, she laid her gun down. "Tom, look at me." she breathed. When he didn't move, she cupped his head in her hands and turned his face up to look at her. "Tommy!"_

_He blinked once, blinked again, then suddenly threw his arms around her waist and hugged her for all he was worth._

_Not knowing what else to do, she hugged him back._

_Reno watched the children play and dance, seemingly oblivious that they were even there. Any other day, any other island, any other life, and they just looked like a bunch of happy kids, just playing around the camp fire._

_Yea, just instead of Smores, they were roasting themselves some juicy slices of New Jersey._

_He looked back at Knuckles, but she was whispering to Tommy, their heads together._

_That was alright. That was how it should be. It was good that they took care of each other. They were there for each other. That they had each other. If he had been there for Pecos, if he had stayed at her side, if he had taken care of her…_

_Tightening his grip on his rifle, Reno looked down again. Anger, rage, fury burned in his chest, raced through his body., filling all the empty spaces that losing her, losing the woman he loved more than very existence, had left. He was going to kill them. He was going to kill every one of those little Nazi bastards._

_But then there was her._

_The woman stood at the foot of the steps, her back to the fire, gazing up at him, her arms held out as if welcoming him to the festivities._

_Reno rubbed his eyes. But when he looked again, she was still there, gazing up at him, smiling. _

_Smiling! The bitch was smiling!_

_His family was in ruins! Little Mrs. Johnson shot to hell. Tommy Boy all busted up. Jersey nothing more than a big stump. Pecos…_

_Even if she was alive, he knew she could never live with what she had done. Not that she could possible be alive doing those things. Her heart, her mind, her soul… She would never have survived doing those things. _

_And that woman stood there smiling at him!_

_Standing, he moved out onto the top step. Hiking his rifle up again, he took bead on the woman. He'd shoot that damn smile right off her face._

_She dropped her arms as she turned away, back to the fire._

_It was then, in a glimpse, he saw her._

_Pecos!_

_Still in the flowered night gown Peggy had dressed her in, her hair matted with twigs, her feet bare and dirty, was Pecos, dancing among the children. _

_Reno stopped breathing, his rifle lowering._

_Pecos! His beautiful Pecos!_

_But he shook his head angrily. No, not his Pecos! That wasn't her!_

_The front of her gown was red with blood, her hands stained with it. Clutched in one hand was a strip of dripping meat… not meat!_

_Meat indicates something that was meant to be eaten! _

_That wasn't meat!_

_That was human!_

_Man!_

_And Pecos held it to her bloody lips, and tore it apart with her teeth, splattering her cheeks, dripping down her chin._

_No, not his Pecos._

_Reno blinked, surprised that his anger was suddenly gone. As if the world around them was suddenly gone, he set his rifle down on the ground and started down the steps toward Pecos and the children dancing around her._

_Perfect Tommy pulled away from Knuckles and leaned back against the hut again. "Ah'm okay." he mumbled._

"_Yea?" Knuckles leaned back on her heals and crossed her arms over her knees. "That's great. 'Cause I'm totally screwed up."_

_He looked at her. At first he thought she was joking, but those green eyes were glistening, her jaw line hard and set as she concentrated on keeping her fear from showing. He shook his head. "Ah don't think ah can do this, Knuckles. Ah mean… what they did to Jersey… who'd he ever hurt? If there's a god, than why ain't he taken out me? Or even you? Or Reno? We've done a hell of a lot of bad things in our time. But the doc?" He shook his head again. "Jersey's a damn saint!"_

"_Don't think it has anything to do with saints and devils." Knuckles tried. _

_But Perfect Tommy kept working his own theory. "Maybe we're all already dead an' this is like purgatory. This is how they sort the saints from the sinners. You know, they take the good guys first so's they don't have to suffer this hell any longer than they have to."_

"_That's a theory." Knuckles answered, nodding slightly. "But we're not dead. And we're not going to die here on this little dirt clod of an island."_

"_Yea?" Tommy sighed heavily. "How do you know?"_

"'_Cause of Oddity."_

_Tommy frowned. "Oddity?"_

_Knuckles nodded. "I don't let fleas at him. No way in hell… or purgatory… am I gonna let that dog get eaten by a pack of cannibal Nazis."_

_The Cavalier stared at her for a moment, then chuckled. "Yea, ah can see you fighting all the demons in hell for that mutt."_

"_He's not a mutt."_

_Tommy bounced his head up and down. "Pure bred silver Austrian Shepard."_

"_Damn straight." Knuckles licked her lips. "You remember, hold on to it, that, long as we're alive, we always have a fighting chance. You don't give up on Jersey, or us, or Oddity. We're still alive. In fact…" She spat in her hand and held it out to him. "Make a pact right here and now: whatever happens, no way in hell we let Oddity, or Jersey, die on this island!"_

_Perfect Tommy stared at her hand. "That's disgusting." he pointed out._

_Knuckles smiled, genuinely relieved to see a little of the panic fade and the return of his usual spunk. "Shake! Seal the pact!"_

_Giving an exaggerated sigh, he spat in his own hand, then, with a wince, gripped her hand._

_But Knuckles used the hold to pull him close. "Tommy, just so you know, I do love you."_

_Perfect Tommy smiled. "Ah know."_

"_We okay, kids?" Rawhide asked._

_The two looked up to see a notably paler Rawhide, his ever present Stetson cowboy hat in his hand instead of on his head._

"_No, but ah guess we don't have much of a say in it all." Tommy answered for them._

"'_Suppose not." Rawhide agreed. "Perfect Tommy, you gonna be alright to help Buckaroo with Jersey?" he asked, offering his hand down to the kid._

_On his feet, Tommy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yea." he said softly. Swallowing hard, he tried to sound more sure of himself when he said again "Yea. Yea, ah can do it."_

_Rawhide nodded. "Just remember: they need you. Focus on that. Pack them up and head for the bridge. We'll be right behind you."_

_With a last glance at Knuckles, stealing what strength he could from her, he made a dive for the doorway before he could change his mind. _

_With him gone, Rawhide looked around. "Where's Reno?" he asked when he couldn't spot his Cavalier right off._

_Knuckles rose up and spun about. "Crap." she hissed. Taking the few steps back to the fuselage, she picked up Reno's abandon rifle. _

_Coming up behind her, Rawhide pointed out "That boy wouldn't put that gun down for nothing."_

"_He didn't. Look." Knuckles pointed._

_Below, stepping off the last step, was Reno. And beyond him was Pecos dancing and twirling in the light of the fire, completely oblivious to her lover's approach._

_In fact, no one seemed to notice him. Not the blond woman who continued to weave about her children. Not the children who danced and twirled around the fire._

"_What the hell does he think he's doing?!" Rawhide growled, but when Knuckles started after him, Rawhide grabbed her arm, stopping her._

_As if in a trance, Reno Nevada's eyes never left Pecos as he walked toward her. After all, what else was there? The whole world consisted of her and him. When he got close enough, he called to her softly "Pecos?"_

_She stopped her dancing and turned to face him, slow and easy as if she had been expecting him. Grinning, she exposed her sharp, blood stained teeth._

_He smiled down at her. Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear "You know, I loved you the minute you dropped your duffle on World Watch One and stuck your gum on the door." He kissed her ear. "And I'll love you right on through eternity." _

_Holding her close with one hand, the other came about with a long bladed knife. He struck with absolute precision, driving the knife up, at an angle, through her ribs, piercing through her right lung, and slicing her heart in half._

_Her back arched suddenly, her eyes going wide, and, for two seconds, she was dying. But then her arms fell, dangling at her sides, and she slumped against Reno._

_Quickly wrapping both arms around her, Reno held on with every ounce of strength he had. Burying his face in her hair, he closed his eyes and let the world fade away._

_Like a thunder clap, every child in the valley stopped and stared at the scene of the two lovers. Then, like a pack of wolves, they began to creep toward him, snarling. As knives were drawn, they picked up speed. With in a breath, they had reached him, swarming over Reno, stabbing, biting, clawing, until the Cavalier disappeared under them._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Knuckles stopped breathing. She didn't know what was more shocking: Reno killing Pecos; or Reno dying so quickly, so silently, so willingly.

"Knuckles…" someone was saying, but she just couldn't hear any more.

Her friends…

Reno always as ready to laugh as he was to fight or raise a mug of beer.

Pecos, the best of sparing partners, quick and mean, and never taking anything personal…

Her friends were dead.

Like Romeo and Juliet, ultimate lovers to the end.

Rawhide grabbed Knuckles' arm and threw her back against the hut. "Knuckles! Move!" he snapped at her.

Stunned, the girl stared at him with big eyes. But then she saw the movement behind him, at the base of the steps.

Leaving behind the shredded remains of the Cavaliers, the children turned their attention up…

Up to them.

Bringing Reno's rifle up to his shoulder, Rawhide fired, hitting the ground at the feet of the approaching children. "Damn." he growled at himself. He had just watched the little bastards tare his friends to pieces, and he still couldn't bring himself to shoot a child. "Saddle up, girl! Get the boys moving. Cover their asses!"

Shaking her head clear, Knuckles spun about, spotting the two men, already on their way down the path. They carried a makeshift stretcher between them, the doctor in the lead, Perfect Tommy carrying the end. Hurrying after, she encouraged "Double time it, boys!"

To make their need clear, Knuckles fired her Starr, sending a little blond cannibal falling from the tree branches just ahead of Buckaroo.

Rawhide moved slower, backing up as he watched the wave slowly climb the steps toward them.

They snarled and chattered at him, snapping their teeth as they came closer. Little hands gripped jagged knives, arms, legs, chests, faces all splattered with blood. There were a couple who still clutched shredded flesh, whether from Reno or Pecos or Jersey… Rawhide didn't want to know.

Bringing the rifle to his shoulder again, the big man whispered, begged "Please turn back. Please don't make me do this."

But they kept coming. Hunger in their eyes, growling with an inhuman blood lust, they kept coming.

Closing his eyes, Rawhide made himself squeeze the trigger. Almost startled by the kick against his shoulder, his eyes snapped open in time to see what he had done.

The nearest child fell back, tumbling into his followers, knocking several of them back and down the steps. Like an avalanche, one falling child slammed into another, who, in turn, knocked into another. With in a breath, the advancement was stopped by stumbling and tumbling chaos.

"Rawhide!" Knuckles called as she fired again, knocking out of the air a little girl who had thrown herself at Rawhide's back.

"Damn, damn, damn." Rawhide cursed, before spinning about and taking chase. "Run, run, run!" he yelled at those in front of him.

They were coming out of the trees now, hurrying to cut him off from the others. Like pack hunters, they were cutting the herd.

But Knuckles stood at the top of the path, her twin Starr revolvers bucking in her hands, clearing his path of escape, like some scene out of an old Spaghetti Western.

"Left!" Rawhide called, taking aim, and shooting a child in the leg as he lunged at Knuckles from the side.

As ordered, Knuckles turned to her left, firing.

Rawhide tapped her shoulder as he passed, letting her know to move. "Let's go."

"Rawhide!" came a yell from Buckaroo.

Spinning, the cowboy brought the rifle to his shoulder and fired, hitting one of the two attackers that blocked the doctor's path.

Hands busy with the stretcher, Buckaroo Banzai kicked, sending the other slamming into a tree. "Tommy, brace yourself!" he called over his shoulder.

"What? What are you…"

Buckaroo threw his end of the stretcher up, slamming Tommy's end back against the youngest Cavalier. Hands free, Buckaroo spun about. His fist caught a little attacker in the jaw, sending him back into the brush, his boot caught another in the stomach, before spinning back in place in time to catch the stretcher.

"Man!" Perfect Tommy yelled at him. "Do not do that again!"

"Keep it moving!" Knuckles snapped at both of them as she took the lead, clearing their path. "Do not stop. Do not pass on go. Leave the hitting and kicking and shooting to Rawhide and me. You two… get Jersey home." She paused long enough to glance at Tommy. "Don't forget: you made a pact!" That said, she turned back to the path ahead.

Grinding his teeth, Perfect Tommy hiked his grip on the stretcher. "You heard the insane, little bounty hunter. Keep it moving!"

They were just coming down the last incline to the landing at the end of the bridge, when Rawhide was hit from the side, a sharp little knife hitting him in the calf.

"Goddamn!" he cussed, his wounded leg going out from under him, sending rocks rolling down the sloop under Perfect Tommy's feet.

One foot slipping on the wet, loose rocks, Perfect Tommy fell, his shoulder hitting a tree. The tree saved him from hitting the ground, but, still, Buckaroo had to struggle to keep the stretcher up right.

"Knuckles!" Buckaroo shouted.

The girl back handed the little cannibal that she had been struggling with, sending him rolling down the path in front of them and off of the landing. Spinning about, she ran back up, shouting "Down!"

"Tommy!" Buckaroo warned as he dropped to one knee.

Perfect Tommy dropped down and, resting the stretcher on his knee, bent over, shielding Jersey.

Knuckles fired her Starrs simultaneously as she ran. One bullet slammed in to the boy taking another swing at Rawhide's leg. The other bullet struck another in the shoulder just as he was leaping at Perfect Tommy.

Dropping her empty guns back in their holsters, she asked almost calmly "May I?" as she passed Perfect Tommy.

Stretcher still on his knee, Tommy used his free hands to draw his pistols and hold them up for her.

In fluid movement, Knuckles spun, taking the guns from his hands, and coming around again to fire two more times, killing two more attackers charging Rawhide. "Happy to cover your ass all day, Cowboy, but the boys are eager to be on their way." she advised coming to stand over him. Just incase they didn't get her point, she threw the boys a glare.

"We're moving." Buckaroo assured, once more lifting up the stretcher.

"Watch the edge of the landing." Rawhide warned. He grabbed the back of Knuckles coat and pulled himself up. "Keep moving, girl."

"Yea, well, soon as you get your ol' butt…" Knuckles was suddenly ripped out of his grip and slammed head first into a tree. Her world exploded in bright lights, falling to her knees in the mud.

Her attackers, a pair of boys hanging from the branches above them, had grabbed her by her braids and yanked. As soon as she hit the ground, they were jumping down on top of her, pinning her. Then they were swarming from the trees again. Ignoring Rawhide, they went after the fallen Cavalier from all directions, baring her in a pile of little bodies, snapping teeth, and jabbing knives.

In a breath, the only part of Knuckles left visible was a kicking foot which a near toddler was doing her very best to catch with a jagged, chipped blade.

Shocked, stunned at the sudden attack, Rawhide found himself standing in the middle of the path, starring. It was almost as if he was standing at the top of the steps again, watching Reno go down. But, then, he heard a scream, barely recognizable under the swarm.

"Son of a bitch!" He snapped into action. Whipping Reno's rifle about in his hands, he held it by the barrel and swung, clubbing the children off of Knuckles. "Get the hell off of her!" he roared, snatching one up and throwing him back off of his Cavalier. "Fight, girl, fight!"

He was making progress. He could see her now: Bleeding head with some little punk chewing on a braid as if it might give her some nourishment; Right hand, fingers still tightly wrapped around Perfect Tommy's gun; her stomach, shirt torn, bloody cuts across tan skin.

Then he jumped back as a gun went off somewhere under the pile.

One hand finally free, Knuckles brought a revolver around and fired at the little attacker that laid on her chest, his face buried under her chin. She cried out as the muzzle flash was close enough to burn her own skin. But, gritting her teeth, she fired again, finally dislodging him enough for her to kick out from under him.

Rawhide kicked at one who was trying to crawl back to the girl's legs. He swung his club, smashing the head of another. With an animal like roar, Rawhide clutched the rifle barrel with both hands, he took a running step back up the trail before stopping himself.

Again, standing shocked, stunned, he watched as the children retreated. Practically ignoring him, they left Knuckles on the ground and disappeared back into the trees and underbrush.

He didn't understand.

They could have had them. Right then and there if only they had pressed their attack.

But they retreated?

"Crap!" Knuckles screamed after them. "Crap, you little bastards! Crap!"

Still holding the rifle up and at the ready, Rawhide stepped back. "You alright, girl?" he asked.

Knuckles clawed at a tree root, dragging herself to her knees. Her entire body was on fire from what seemed like hundreds of cuts and scrapes and…

Her left hand went to her throat, covering the ripped flesh. She could feel her pulse, pumping frantically, flushing her system with the poison from the little teeth. She stopped breathing.

Oh, crap.

It bit her. Bit her throat, punctured a main artery.

Not enough to cause immediate bleeding out, but enough to send the damn poison straight to heart and, from there, her mind and body.

She could feel it already, feel it burning through her veins like acid.

Her chest tightened.

Her skin felt sticky.

Her eyes felt as if they were slowly imploding.

Suddenly, she was hungry.

A hungry so desperate she couldn't fathom it.

Knuckles squeezed her eyes close, trying to push it all away.

"Knuckles!" Rawhide snapped, demanding a response. "Can you move? Did they bite you?"

Grinding her teeth, she opened her eyes again. Scooping up Tommy's revolvers, she forced herself to her feet. "Lets… move…" she growled, stumbling down the path.

Slinging Reno's rifle in the loop of his pack, Rawhide drew his long muzzled .38 Magnum, and followed her.

* * *

Oddity started to wine, scratching at the door.

Tommy Boy looked up from where she was strapping the last wire down under the control panel. "Oddity?"

The dog glanced back at her and barked.

Grabbing the pistol that laid at the ready, Tommy Boy limped to the door and peered out the window.

Though the sky was still dark with storm clouds, the wind was gone, and the rain was more of a thick mist. The field around them was a lush green, Perfect Tommy's tools still spotting the ground. The tree line was tall, dark, foreboding.

But Tommy Boy didn't see anything that might have alerted the dog.

Then again, seeing and being didn't always fall into the same category. Particularly here abouts.

Leaning her shoulder against the wall, for balance, she reached down with her empty hand and scratched his head. "Getting antsy, fella?" she wondered… she hoped.

Not that she could blame him. Right about then, she couldn't think of anything she would rather be doing than flying off of this damn island.

Oh, yea, flying off this damn, fucking island with her family safe, sound, and intact.

Oddity scratched at the door again, barking urgently at her.

And, suddenly, Tommy Boy felt a block of ice drop to the pit of her gut.

Knuckles.

Oddity was freaking out.

Oddity was ordered to stay and protect them.

An order from Knuckles that he would never abandon. Oddity would starve himself, sitting there, protecting them, doing his beloved mistress' bidding.

And now he was freaking out.

Did dogs really know when they were needed? Did Oddity have some psychic link to his mistress? To Knuckles?

"Is everything alright?" Peggy called as she stepped out of the infirmary to investigate the noise.

Tommy Boy grabbed the dog's collar. "Oddity. Stay. Guard." she ordered, hoping the animal would listen to her.

"Tommy Boy?"

As Peggy approached, she smiled over her shoulder. "Everything's fine, Peggy." Tommy Boy lied. But, just incase… "Peggy, set up a cot in the armory for Mrs. Johnson. When ready, I'll help you move her."

Peggy stopped and looked at her for what seemed a long time. Then she swallowed hard. "Yea. Okay." she whispered in reply. Spinning about, she ran off to get the job done.

Tommy Boy sighed. Well, failed at not freaking her out. Failed miserably. Looking down at the dog, she tried to smile. "Don't you worry, mutt. She's a tough girl."

* * *

Hunger.

She was so hungry.

It wasn't just a want.

Not just a need.

It was her very existence.

She wasn't just hungry.

She was Hunger.

"No." Knuckles gasped, falling to her knees. Arms wrapping around her belly, she rolled forward on herself. "No!" she commanded herself. "No, you can't."

"Knuckles?" Rawhide called to her as he stood over her, guns at the ready.

Oh, god…

She could feel his heat, so warm and inviting.

She could hear his heart pounding, mesmerizing her.

She could smell his rich blood coursing through tender veins.

She could taste his sweet flesh, so rich, juicy…

Taking a shaky breath, Knuckles looked up. The bridge was three feet away. But, more importantly, she could see Perfect Tommy's back.

They had reached the other side.

They were safe.

For now.

Knuckles stiffened.

They were safe…

… as long as she couldn't reach them.

Licking her lips, tasting her own blood, Knuckles said "Rawhide, give me the ignition."

Rawhide frowned. "What?"

"Give me the ignition for the charges." she repeated. "Go across the bridge. I'll cover the rear."

The big man shook his head. "You're hurt. You go first."

"No." Knuckles shook her head.

Rawhide took a moment to scan the trees again.

Not one of the little bastards were in sight. But they could hear them. Chattering in the trees, almost like a rabid pack of squirrels gathering for the charge.

Crouching down, Rawhide growled "Get to your feet, girl, and cross that bridge. That is an order."

But then she looked up at him.

And Rawhide stopped breathing.

The bite at her throat had stopped bleeding, the skin gray and dead. It seeped a clear, glistening ooze. She was pale, thin looking, like if he looked too hard, he could see right through her.

"Oh, god, Knuckles." He started to reach for her.

Knuckles suddenly bared her teeth and snarled. But, just as suddenly, she slapped his hand away and scurried out of reach. "Don't!" she cried. "Don't touch me!"

He just sat there, staring at her, his hand held out, asking her to come with him.

The girl shook her head. "Please…. You don't understand… I'm so…. Hungry." The last word came out as a snarl, and she couldn't help but lick her lips. "I'm dangerous. I'll turn on you. All of you. Just like Pecos."

"It took hours for Pecos to turn." Rawhide reasoned.

"She was bitten in the hand." Knuckles pulled on her shirt front, making sure he could see her bite. "This… this went straight through me. I can feel it!" Again she shook her head, trying to reason herself. "Rawhide, Pecos was a bitch of a fighter… I'm better. She took out half the crew. I will kill them all."

Rawhide looked away. "I'll carry you." he tried. He didn't look at her, because he knew the answer. "Knock you out and carry you!"

"If you do…" She spoke very slowly, her voice trembling. "If you do I will kill you. And I will kill the ones we love." She was pleading with him. "Please… Rawhide, please…. Don't do that to me!"

He slammed his fist down in the dirt. "I won't leave you here to die!" he yelled.

"Rawhide, look at me."

Ripping his Stetson from his head, he took a deep breath and forced his eyes up.

"I'm already dead." she whispered.

Finally looking at her, seeing her, the same little fighter that butted in on the scene, guns a blazing, all mean and grit, just a few years ago…

And he knew it was true.

"Goddamn it, Knuckles… Jessica." He stopped himself. Forcing himself to control his breathing, he took off his pack and started to reload the rifles and hand guns, and laying them on the ground, close to her hands. "Okay, remember your shots. Make them pay for every inch they take." he instructed her, struggling with every word. "Don't give them anything. And don't take any crap." Done, he handed her the tiny switch box for the charges Reno had set on the bridge. Licking his lips, he dropped his eyes and asked "Anything you want me to tell Tommy?"

Knuckles shrugged. "He knows… just… just remind him… he made a pact. He even spit on it."

Rawhide nodded once. He glanced back at the sounds coming from the trees. Little buggers were getting closer. He nodded again, and rose to his feet.

Knuckles grabbed his hand.

He looked down at her.

"I never had a captain after my father died." she admitted to him. "Not 'til you."

Rawhide squeezed his eyes closed, then opened them. Dipping down, he kissed her on the top of her head. Then he spun about and ran across the bridge.

Knuckles wiped away her tears and took in a good, long breath, letting it out slowly. Scooting over until her back was against the bridge, she held the ignition box in one hand, and picked up Reno's rifle in the other. And then she looked up and saw the first of the blond haired, blue eyed cannibals easing down the path toward her.

"Come on, you little bastards." she growled. "Lets do the whole blaze of glory crap."

* * *

Buckaroo and Perfect Tommy had set the stretcher down just on the other side of the tree line.

While Buckaroo busied himself with checking Jersey, Tommy paced the trail. Since Knuckles' had his guns, he was holding Buckaroo's Colt. Some where between watching for attack and nervously searching for their friends, Perfect Tommy ground his teeth together, wondering "Where are they?"

"They're coming." Buckaroo assured.

Tommy glanced at him, wanting to demand just how in the hell he knew that. But then he saw Jersey and he was reminded of other concerns. "How's he doing?"

The doctor sighed. "Ask me when I get him into an ICU in the best damn hospital in the world…" He stopped, looking up at his youngest Cavalier. "He's wet and cold." he answered.

Tommy nodded slightly. Tucking the gun into his belt, he pulled off his own coat and tossed it to Buckaroo. "First order of any first aid: keeping him warm. Right?"

Buckaroo smiled. Kid always managed to amaze him.

Taking the offered coat, he tucked it in around their wounded friend.

Jersey's eyes fluttered open. "Buckaroo." he rasped.

Buckaroo tucked the hood around Sid's face, protecting him from the rain. "I'm right here, Sid. We're almost home. You'll be safe and warm in no time."

But he shook his head. "No… no, she won't…" He choked on his own words.

"Won't what?" the doctor asked. Not that he really wanted to know, but Sidney was talking!

Talking meant breathing.

Breathing meant living.

And living meant there was a chance.

Chance.

Hope!

And, damn, they sure could use a little hope right about now.

"Katarina… she won't let us go." Jersey nearly sobbed, before turning his face into the hood, hiding.

"Katarina?" Buckaroo mumbled. Must have been the woman they saw. What he would do for a moment sit down with her.

"Incoming." Perfect Tommy warned, drawing the gun again and taking aim.

But it was Rawhide who came around the trees and into view.

The big cowboy stopped, glancing at each of them, before ordering "Get moving." he stepped pass Tommy and started up the path.

Perfect Tommy waited, looking the way he had come. When he didn't see her, he asked "Where's Knuckles?"

Rawhide looked at him. Sniffing, he put his Stetson on his head. "She's not coming." he said, his tone void of emotion. Refusing to look at the boy, he focused on Buckaroo instead.

Buckaroo frowned at him, then, understanding, he closed his eyes and dropped his head.

"What do you mean she's not coming?" Tommy demanded. His mind worked furiously.

Was she tracking?

Off in the woods somewhere, making her own way?

Catch up with them later?

Meet them there?

No, none of that made sense.

Only thing that made sense was…

Gun fire sounded.

Tommy shook his head. "You left her?!" he cried.

"Perfect Tommy…" Buckaroo started.

But the boy was already running back.

"Tommy, stop!" Rawhide yelled after him. Knowing words weren't going to do it, he took chase.

Perfect Tommy was just reaching the bridge when Rawhide grabbed him from behind, jerking him off of his feet.

"Let go, damn it!" Tommy screamed at him. "They're gonna kill her!"

The bridge exploded in front of them, throwing them back into the bushes. Burning bits of rope and wood showered down on them.

Rawhide wrapped himself around Tommy, protecting him from the blast and debris.

But Perfect Tommy shoved him off. He scrambled to his feet and ran to the edge, where the bridge had once been.

Across the canyon, he could see through the haze and smoke, Knuckles, sitting on the ground, firing guns from both hands, fighting to the last, until she disappeared under a mass of screaming little predators. Though they could still hear gun fire, they couldn't see her any more, and the shots were becoming more infrequent.

"Knuckles!" Tommy screamed. "Jessica! Get up! Run! Fight! Do something! Please!"

Rawhide climbed to his feet behind him. "Tommy." He reached out and tried to grab his arm. "Tommy, she's gone."

But he yanked his arm away. "No." Frantically he started to look for a way to climb down the canyon. "I can reach her. I can bring her home. I can… I can…"

"No, you can't!" Rawhide snapped. This time, he grabbed him around the waist and lifted him up off of his feet. "We have to go. We have to go now."

"No! Put me down!" Perfect Tommy kicked and struggled until Rawhide finally dropped him on the ground beside Jersey's stretcher. "You son of a bitch!" Tommy yelled at him. "You left her! You left her to die!" he accused.

Rawhide sighed. "Mount up." he ordered.

Tommy leaped to his feet. "Go to hell!" he snapped. "You left her!"

The big man spun on him. "And if we stand here and argue about it, she would have died for nothing!" he snapped right back.

Perfect Tommy doubled up his fists.

But, before he could take a swing, Buckaroo grabbed his wrists. "Tommy, we have to get Sid to the infirmary." he reminded the boy.

He could carry Jersey by himself if he had to, but, if they were going to save Tommy too, he needed Tommy to help him. Distract him now. Deal with the damage later.

Perfect Tommy glared at Rawhide another breath, before looking at Buckaroo Banzai. He struggled to fill his lungs, gasping instead. Wiping his eyes, he nodded once and grabbed his end of the stretcher.

* * *

"Peggy!" Tommy Boy called. "They're…" She stopped.

She was going to say that they were back. But, what came out of the trees, across the field with plenty of time for the last one of them to have come visible…

Four.

Only four.

Coming up behind her, Peggy wondered "Where are the others?"

As if he could hear, Rawhide glanced up at the window.

Tommy Boy closed her eyes and answered "They're not coming."

"They'll go back for them?"

The woman turned and looked at her friend. "Peggy, they're not coming because there's nothing to go back for." That said, Tommy Boy made an escape down the stairs to open the door for them.

* * *

She stood at the tree line, watching as the survivors boarded their vessel, barring the door behind them. She listened to each click and clank of each lock and bolt thrown into place to give themselves such a sense of security that only wishful thinking could allow.

Of course they were only lying to themselves.

The only safety here was with her. This was her world, her creation. Only she controlled the outcome.

This was a place of her being, of her forever.

And if they thought they would escape…

Could escape…

Katarina Himmer glanced down as her beautiful, sweet children rose up from the ground, seeped from the trees, appeared from the mist. All around her, hundreds, thousands Leban born souls, pure and perfect in all things.

Their simple, sweet hunger…

Yes.

This was a place of her being.

And this was a place that they would never, ever leave.

* * *

"Foot."

Rawhide actually jumped. Spinning about, ready to fight, he stopped just short of throwing a punch at his very own Tommy Boy. Freezing in place, he frowned. "Tommy Boy?" he asked as if he wasn't really sure it was really her.

She raised an eye brow at him. For a moment she wasn't sure if he was more surprised that there might have been a bad guy there or that there wasn't a bad guy there. Nodding to his fist, still held up and at the ready, she wondered "You gonna throw that thing or put it away?"

Instantly his hands dropped to his sides. "Sorry. Just…. I don't know. Little stressed, I guess." he admitted. If there was ever anyone he could show weakness to it was Tommy Boy. Even if she wasn't his any more.

"If only a little, than you're doing a hell of a lot better than the rest of us." she told him. Dropping into a chair, she laid a towel over her knee. "Foot."

"What?"

"You're bleeding all over the deck."

Rawhide looked down. For a moment he was confused by the blood seeping from the cut on his calf, pouring into his boot, leaving a bloody boot print where ever his foot happen to have been. "huh. Forgot about that."

"Yea, well, there's enough bleeding on this boat that someone's going to slip and fall." Tommy Boy complained. She patted her knee and looked at him expectantly.

Too tired to fight any more, Rawhide leaned back against the consol, and put his boot on Tommy Boy's knee.

Cutting open his pant leg, she cleaned the cut. "You're gonna need stitches." she told him.

"Just wrap it up. I'll worry about the details when we're in the air."

"Stitches aren't details, Rawhide." Tommy Boy reprimanded.

Rawhide huffed. "Fine. You want to go drag Buckaroo away from Mrs. Johnson? Sure she doesn't mind bleeding to death while he puts a few threads through my leg. Could ask Peggy. She's just in getting Sid comfy. Hey, better yet, let's see if Sid feels up…"

Tommy Boy reached up and slapped him.

Instantly, the man's jaw snapped shut and he stared at her with big eyes.

She tilted her head to one side and asked "You back?"

Running his toung around the inside of his offended cheek, Rawhide closed his eyes. Taking a breath, he finally said "Yea."

"Yea?"

"Yea." he growled, his eyes coming open to glare at her. "I'm back."

"Good." She had already started wrapping his leg. She knew they didn't have time. Didn't mean that, once in the air, she wasn't going to sit on him until one of the medical types stitched up that gaping rip in his leg.

Ah, and something else he was going to have to do once they were safe and sound in the air and a hell of a ways away from this chunk of hell…

"Eventually, you're gonna need to sit down and talk to him." she told him.

Rawhide looked over her shoulder to where Perfect Tommy sat on the couch in the main room.

The kid was in shock. He sat straight up, long legs just laid out before him. His eyes were locked on something somewhere far off that only he could focus on. Oddity laid across his lap, and both hands were buried in Oddity's thick fur, holding on as if he thought that the dog, too, was going to leave him.

Rawhide shook his head. "He hates me right now." he mumbled. He was surprised at how much that hurt. Perfect Tommy had always been his boy. Whatever form that relationship had taken over the years, and there had been some interesting forms, Rawhide had never expected Tommy to ever hate him.

Tommy Boy wasn't sure what had happened to Knuckles. There hadn't been time for details.

No time for details and stitches.

Well, , she had gotten enough information, heard enough. And she could say one thing with absolute certainty: "He doesn't hate you."

Rawhide glanced at her with a skeptical look.

Tommy Boy sighed. Tying off the bandage, she told him "He's hurting and he's scared. But he doesn't hate you. He could never hate you. You're his rock, his anchor to sanity."

"Actually, last year or so, Knuckles was kinda filling that role." he admitted. He remembered actually being a bit jealous at one point. Remembered thinking what was he going to do now that Perfect Tommy had grown up and moved on?

Tommy Boy grabbed Rawhide's shirt front and pulled his face down to her. "She isn't here. You are. It isn't your fault. And he doesn't hate you." That said, she pushed him away and held out a hand, waiting for him to pull her to her feet.

Rawhide took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yea. Okay." Giving her a hand up, he told her "You know, you make a pretty damn good rock slash anchor yourself."

Tommy Boy couldn't help but miss what once was. But now… "Yea, Thunder's mentioned that a time or two." she pointed out, reminding him that she wasn't his anymore.

Rawhide tried to hide his flinch with a smile. It didn't work.

So Tommy Boy pretended not to notice. "Perfect Tommy and I'll be top side, making sure the propellers do their thing. You and Buckaroo will need to fly this critter."

Rawhide nodded once. "Aye, aye Captain." he mumbled and turned his attention to back to the window.

The girl watched him for a moment, then turned to gather Tommy.

Rawhide listened to her talking softly to Tommy, calling Oddity to follow them. He heard their footfalls on the hard wood floor as they headed for the stairs and up out of ear shot.

Closing his eyes, he let out a long, tired sigh. Damn, his family was all beat to hell and back again. Well, some of them made it back again. Torn, bloody, and scared.

"Time to get the hell out of here." Rawhide grumbled to himself. He opened his eyes, all set to start the engines.

But, first thing he saw, directly in front of him, on the other side of the window, was a blond kid with blood stain teeth. He stood barefoot on the deck, the rain water running down the sharp blade-like rock he gripped in his hand.

"Was wondering how long it was gonna take you little bastards." Rawhide growled. He yelled over his shoulder "They're here!" and started to turn on computers, lighting up the controls.

* * *

Soon as the call came, Buckaroo looked at his wife. "Peggy, I want you in the armory until we're in the air."

But Peggy shook her head as she pretended to busy herself tucking in the blankets around New Jersey. "I need to stay here with Sid."

"He's stable. He'll be fine." Buckaroo answered. He grabbed her arm and steered her out of the infirmary and down the hall to the armory. "I want you safe with our little girl."

Peggy dug in her heals and glared up at him. "I will not hide in a corner while my family fights for their lives!" she growled, yanking her arm free.

"And I won't lose you again!" Buckaroo growled right back. But the harshness in his own voice startled him, and he immediately stepped back. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and held it. It wasn't anger that made him snap at her. It was panic. He was scared. Scared to death of losing anyone else. Scared so bad his chest ached.

Peggy stepped up to him and laid her head against his chest. "You won't lose me, Buckaroo." she promised in a near whisper. "But I'll be damned if I'll lose you. Or Rawhide or Sid, or Perfect Tommy or Tommy Boy." She looked up at him, cupping his face in her hands. "My family is hurting, hurting bad, and I will not hide and do nothing to stop that hurt."

Buckaroo blinked at her.

Of course she wouldn't hide. She wouldn't be woman he loved if she had been the type of woman to run and hide. Still…

Slowly he shook his head. "I'm not asking you to hide." he lied. "Even if they don't get inside before we take off, they will board. And, then, it will only be a matter of time before they do get inside. Before we have to fight them." He paused to pick his words carefully. "If Rawhide and I have to fight, then someone needs to pilot the Aurora. From somewhere safe."

She smiled at him. "That's a bullshit excuse." she told him, though her tone was light. "You fight. I'll keep the boat upright. But… I'll be keeping each one of you in sight. And if any of you get into trouble, I'm coming out, guns a blazing." she warned him.

The doctor smiled. Taking her hands, he kissed the palm of each, before kissing her lips. He tried to think of something encouraging to say, but…

"Go on." Peggy told him. "Don't worry about me." And, knowing he didn't have the strength to turn away, she did, and hurried to the armory.

Buckaroo watched her go. He couldn't help but wonder if he would ever see her again. But then he huffed at himself. Almost in the air, almost home free, and he was still feeling like they were going to lose.

"Buckaroo?" Rawhide called. "Any time. I'm a patient man."

Buckaroo smiled again. Well, if it was their destiny, at least he was in good company.

He hurried across the main floor to join Rawhide on the bridge.

Already the observation deck was filled with a dozen of the island natives. More were climbing the railing. And still more could be seen in the clearing around the ship.

"That didn't take them long." Buckaroo mumbled as he pulled his pistol and set it down beside the computer. Keeping his eyes on the children just on the other side of the windows, his fingers flew over the controls in a practice pattern, turning on and checking systems.

There was a click as one of them stabbed at the storm glass with his knife.

"Yea, well." Rawhide started, but then stopped when he realized he didn't really know what to say. When Buckaroo looked at him, waiting for some sort of old friend wisdom, he just shrugged and gave a sheepish half smile.

Buckaroo chuckled and turned back. "Yea, well." he repeated, agreeing full heartedly.

What else could he say?

What else was there to say?

Rawhide glanced to the starboard. He could see a pair of dirty, bare feet disappearing over the top of the port hole window. "They're climbing up the walls."

Buckaroo grabbed the handheld. "Heads up, Tommy Boy. They're coming up the sides."

* * *

"Shit." Tommy Boy grumbled as the warning came over the ship's communication system. "Tommy, you armed?" she asked as she checked her own weapons. When he didn't answer, she glanced at him. "Tommy?"

Perfect Tommy didn't look at her. Didn't answer her. He stayed completely focused on his job, changing the propellers from power collection to lifting positions.

Tommy Boy considered stepping over and yelling at him, smacking him, something, anything, to get his attention. But she knew it wouldn't help. Kid was too screwed up, in too much pain for a little head smacking to draw him out.

Which actually scared her a little.

What Reno did when he hit his threshold of pain…

What would Perfect Tommy do?

"Hey!" Tommy Boy decided to get his attention. Limping across the deck, she leaned on one of the propellers and demanded "Tommy! You gonna stick with me?"

His hands stopped, his back stiffening.

Finally, a reaction.

"Are you armed?" she asked again.

He swallowed, then his hands began working again. "Knuckles' had my guns." he said softly.

Tommy Boy sighed, dropping her eyes. "Look, Tommy, I want you to keep talking to me, okay? I know things look bad right now. Probably feel a hell of a lot worse than they look, but…"

"Ah'm not gonna pull a Reno." Tommy assured, guessing at what she was thinking.

Tommy Boy paused. "Yea?" She didn't really want to ask how come. That would make him wonder how come himself.

As if hearing her thoughts, Perfect Tommy glanced at Oddity.

The dog laid beside the hatch, watching every move the boy made. His ears flickered, his muscles tense, ready to leap at Tommy's command. Almost as if Oddity had made the same pact as Tommy had.

Tommy Boy suddenly understood. "You promised Knuckles you'd take care of him."

Perfect Tommy quickly turned his eyes back to his work. With a twist and a clank, he finished the fourth blade and went on to the fifth.

Okay, so she didn't need to worry about him throwing himself to his death.

Tommy Boy held out one of her pistols. "Then protect him." she told him.

Perfect Tommy looked at the gun, blinked, then took it, slipping it into his belt. Without saying a word, or even looking at her, he returned to his work.

"Yea." Tommy Boy mumbled, not that much reassured. "Glad we had that little talk. We'll get back to it later."

Oddity came to his feet and growled.

Tommy Boy didn't need to turn and look to know. Particularly since she could see a little head poke up from the other side of Perfect Tommy. Taking a shot, she knocked the little invader off the ship. "Tommy, how much longer?"

"Call the bridge." Perfect Tommy told her, sliding under a propeller and heading for the last blade. "Start the engine." Instead of standing on the deck, he climbed up onto the cap so he could work even as the propellers turned.

Oddity snarled and barked at a child just pulling himself up and over the rail behind the hatch.

Tommy Boy brought up her go-phone, firing again. "Rawhide, put her in gear!" Again she fired knocking a third invader off the railing.

The propellers jerked into motion, nearly knocking Perfect Tommy from his perch.

"Careful, Tommy!" Tommy Boy warned as she ducked under the blades as they slowly turned.

Turning with the propeller, Perfect Tommy stretched out over the blade, pushing it out to its full length. His legs wrapped around the blade, holding him in place, while his arms reached out to work the clamps in place. As the propellers picked up speed, he was struggling to get a good grip on the last clamp. If he didn't get it before the engine went to full speed, the blade would fly off, probably hitting the other blades on its way. And the Aurora wouldn't get enough lift without all six blades spinning.

Clamped or not, if Perfect Tommy was still up there when the engine hit full speed, it would be him that would go flying through the air…. If the blades didn't slice him in half.

"Perfect Tommy! Time to get down!" Tommy Boy yelled at him. She stepped up to the rail, slamming the butt of her gun down on the head of an attacker just reaching the top.

"Almost… have… it…" As the propellers spun faster, Tommy's finger tips slipped on the metal clamp, cutting his skin. Grinding his teeth, he kicked one foot, sliding him closer to the clamp. But now he was completely on the blade, the sharp edges cutting into his legs and arms.

Tommy Boy had to drop to one knee to avoid the propellers. "Tommy!"

Equally concerned, Oddity started to bark at Perfect Tommy, chasing after the propeller, until he ran head long into a blond kid who had jumped the rail. Dog and child toppled over, Oddity coming out on top, growling and snapping at the invader.

"Got it!" Perfect Tommy cried in triumph as the clamp finally clicked into place.

"Then get down!" Tommy Boy fired again. "We've gotta get inside!"

Sliding down to the underside of the blade, Perfect Tommy let go. The speed of the blade sent him skidding across the deck, slamming into the rail with bone jarring force.

Instantly, sensing a fallen prey, three blond cannibals came over the railing above him.

* * *

Buckaroo worked the control ball. "Five feet… ten…" he called out their progress. "Fifteen… closing anchor hatches. Thrust engine almost warmed up… Twenty-five feet…"

The children were still on the deck, even as they lifted up off of their island. They were working their knives at the windows, trying to chisel their way through. There were a couple of spots where they had broken through and were struggling to pull the glass and chain link security wire back and out of the way.

But when Rawhide stepped around Buckaroo, saying "That can't be good.", he was looking beyond the attackers to the tree line.

She stood there, Katarina, directly in front of the Aurora. Her white gown and blond hair blew around her, as if she was some mystical siren. She looked to the sky, her arms open up as if she was calling to the storm.

"Ah, hell." Rawhide growled. "Hold on!"

They were only fifty feet in the air when a tornado strength wind slammed into the side of the Aurora's top decks.

The ship toppled.

* * *

Perfect Tommy rolled over on to his back, the pistol in his hands, firing up.

Two of his attackers fell back, but the third crouched, dodging the bullet. Then she was lunging at the Cavalier.

Suddenly the whole world twisted out from under them.

The Aurora tilted, capsizing to the port side.

Perfect Tommy, already lying against the port side, wrapped his arms around the rail and held on as his little attacker fell back, falling to the ground.

But Tommy Boy and Oddity had been on the starboard side. When the ship tilted, they had nothing to grab a hold of.

Tommy Boy slid across the deck, clutching at the smooth deck as she fell. Her wounded leg hit the port rail and she cried out as pain ripped through her body. Then she was free falling off the edge.

Oddity slid across the deck only a few feet to her left, slowed only when he slammed into one of the invaders, taking him off the edge with him.

The Aurora continued to tilt until the propellers hit the tree line. The first pass, and the blades sliced through the smaller branches. But as the ship continued to tilt, the blades snapped and splintered as they hit the bigger branches, sending shards of wood and steel flying through the air.

* * *

Both Rawhide and Buckaroo were thrown across the bridge, slamming into the port side wall. The control ball spun, swinging the nose of the ship around, ramming into the trees. The engines squealed and screamed in protest. A crash sounded from the lower deck, probably the car breaking lose. Books and computers, chairs, beds, dishes, anything that wasn't bolted down was thrown from their perches, smashing and crashing across the boat.

"Look out!" Buckaroo yelled, pushing Rawhide away, then rolling the opposite direction, barely avoiding the love seat that slid across the deck to smash into the port side door. It hit with enough force that the steel enforced door twisted and ripped from the hinges.

Rawhide rolled away until he hit the slider door between the bridge and the living room. Pushing off of the door, he rolled back and up, coming to his feet. Spinning about he started to look for Buckaroo, but had to stop.

He was standing on the port wall.

"Ah, hell." Rawhide cussed. Then he was shoving furniture and debris out of his way. "Buckaroo? Where are you?" he yelled.

Buckaroo struggled to his feet, using the cracked storm window for support. Looking around, he couldn't help but exclaimed "Deuces." He looked across the bridge to Rawhide.

The big cowboy stared back. "We're not getting off this island, are we?!"

* * *

Peggy had been standing in the doorway when the ship had tipped. The heavy, steel door had swung close on her, slamming her across the room. Her whole world flashed, then went dark.

"Peggy? Peggy!" Mrs. Johnson's screams brought her around.

Blinking away tears and bright spots, Peggy slowly became aware of the tugging on her leg. "Wh… what?" she asked, not sure right off where she was. She reached out, grabbed the leg of the desk and started to pull herself up, but there was a sickening pop and she lost feeling in her fingers. With a gasp, she fell back.

"Peggy!" Mrs. Johnson cried from where she laid at Peggy's feet.

"I'm alright." Peggy quickly told her. "You're alright. Keep your head down." Bracing her shoulder against the floor, she twisted about until she could look around the room.

Most everything in the armory was bolted or strapped down, so what was thrown around was just her and Mrs. Johnson, the cot, and a chair. The whole room was on its side, the Quarter A.I. Pilot computers on the wall above them, the keyboard hanging down by its cord.

Wincing, wrapping an arm around her bandages, Mrs. Johnson scooted herself back against a rack. She couldn't understand why she was sitting on the wall. "What happened?" she wanted to know. She was trying real hard not to panic, but a mixture of blood loss and pain killers was really screwing with her self control.

"I think we capsized." Peggy mumbled. Pulling her good arm around, she felt her right arm. Everything below the elbow was numb, but the elbow itself was searing. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as she tried to work the arm.

"Is it broken?" Mrs. Johnson asked.

Swallowing down the pain, Peggy nodded. "I… I think the elbow's smashed." That meant serious damage. Which she had no time for. Letting the tears fall, she reached up with her good hand, grabbing a rack, and hauling herself to her feet. She stumbled to the door and tried to push it open.

It wouldn't budge.

Leaning her head against the door, she yelled "Buckaroo? Rawhide?"

"They can't here you." Mrs. Johnson reminded her. "The armory's air tight."

Peggy groaned. Twisting about until she was leaning against the door, she looked about for some other idea. And then she remembered. "The A.I." Taking a deep breath, she reached for the keyboard, turning it so she could see it. She hit a few keys.

The speakers came alive. At first there was nothing but static, but then a computer voice became clear, announcing system failures.

After a moment of listening, Mrs. Johnson closed her eyes and let her head fall back. "We're dead in the water." she whimpered.

"Quarter A.I. Go voice command. Banzai, Peggy, Doctor." Peggy called, ordering the computer.

"Banzai, Peggy, Doctor. Confirmed." the A.I. answered.

"Show crew positions."

Two of the smaller screens were dark, but the third showed a black and white scene of Rawhide and Buckaroo climbing over debris on the bridge. The main screen showed a floor plan of the Aurora. Two blue dots on the bridge, one in the infirmary, two in the armory, one on the top deck, port side, and two port side on the ground.

"Oh, god. Someone's outside." Mrs. Johnson gasped. "How did they get outside?"

"Blue is good." Peggy quickly assured herself as much as the girl. "Blue is alive."

But, outside, how long would the dots stay blue?

* * *

Tommy Boy screamed.

She had fallen two stories, landing on her feet. Her ankles snapped. She could feel jagged bone poking out through her socks, blood filling her boots, soaking her pant legs.

Her whole world was pain, unbelievable pain. Instinctively she tried to crawl from the pain, only to jar her feet and send new waves of agony up her legs. She was lost, gasping for breath, when something warm and soft leaned against her. Blinking away tears, Tommy Boy grasped at the fur. "Od…Oddity." she sobbed.

Dragging his own hurt leg, Oddity stood over the Cavalier. He lowered his head, bared his teeth, and snarled at the approaching children.

One swung at the Cavalier, but Oddity spun about, catching the little hand between his teeth, and throwing him away from them.

Realization began to cut through the cloud of pain.

Oddity and her had fallen.

They were on the ground.

Hurt.

Alone.

Vulnerable.

Tommy Boy grabbed a hold of the dog and dragged herself up into a sitting position. She dropped her face in his fur, muffling another scream as her ankles were jostled again.

She felt, more than saw, something hit the ground beside her. Her hand instantly dropped to her belt holster, but her gun wasn't there.

No, it was in her hand when she fell. The impact must have bounced it out of her grip.

Her head whipped about, trying to find her gun… at least something she could use to defend herself.

"Tommy Boy, stay there." Perfect Tommy ordered as he crouched down behind her, putting his back to hers.

All around them, packed shoulder to shoulder, were hundreds of the cannibal children. Nearly all armed with some sort of knife. Some just armed with blood stained teeth and sharp nails. They were everywhere, and still more pushed into clearing from the trees. Above them the Aurora rested, propped up by a few ancient, giant trees strong enough to take the weight of the great ship. Her propeller cap spinning stumps, all that was left of the blades, only a few yards above their heads.

Spotting her fallen weapon just a few inches away, Perfect Tommy quickly snatched it before it was claimed by their attackers. He handed it over his shoulder to her.

Not that it would do them much good.

They were three against hundreds.

Three hurt, broken, damaged…

"What… What are they waiting for?" Tommy Boy wondered, knowing that there was only one thing that could happen now.

Perfect Tommy actually chuckled. "Savoring the moment."

Another snarl from Oddity warned them that the savoring was over.

The children grinned their frightening blood stained grin, and swarmed forward.

* * *

They were so thick they blocked out the light coming in from the windows. Pushing through the broken hatches and doors, they filled the ship, taking it deck by deck, slashing and stabbing at everything.

Pillows were shredded in a shower of goose feathers. Books chewed and spat out. Electronics smashed against anything hard enough to break it.

In truth, Buckaroo Banzai was reminded of the Gremlins movies. He wondered if it would have been easier if these things were gruesome looking little monsters instead of the sweet, almost innocent looking little children that attacked them now.

Rawhide snatched Buckaroo by the back of his shirt and threw him back, while firing his gun at the little creature who was swinging his weapon down on the doctor. "Less thought, more fighting!" the cowboy snapped.

Buckaroo stumbled back. Half turning, catching himself on an over turned desk, he fired, shooting a child out of the air. "We can't win this!" he yelled over his shoulder to his friend.

Rawhide grabbed the hem of a skirt and, spinning about threw the little girl across the deck to slam into her companions who were climbing in through the port side door.

For a moment, that entrance was plugged.

"So, you wanna stop fighting?" Rawhide demanded. "Lay back and play dead?"

"Find the others." Buckaroo suggested. "Make a run for the trees." It was a desperate idea. One he knew would never have a chance. But he just couldn't give up hope.

He just couldn't.

Rawhide glanced back at him, but only for a second. Then he was shooting his weapon again. He didn't know how to answer Buckaroo. Remind him that they were surrounded? That there was no way in hell they would make it to the trees? Hell, they'd never make it out of the ship!

Growling at himself, Rawhide kicked, hit, and shot at their attackers. "Get the girls." he ordered. "I'll get Jersey." At least if Buckaroo was able to reach the armory and get inside, he might survive a little longer.

Buckaroo could almost hear Rawhide's thoughts. They had known each other a long time. Been brothers in all but blood. Rawhide couldn't lie to him. And he couldn't lie to Rawhide.

And that left only one real truth between them.

One last thing to say.

"Rawhide?"

"Yea?"

"It's been an honor."

Rawhide froze for a breath. But then he was fighting again. "Mount up and get moving!"

* * *

The whole world was dark and lonely.

There was no feel to it.

There was no life to it.

It was simply dark.

Simply lonely.

Then a light appeared, like the sun on the horizon. It rose, chasing away the dark, filling all vision with its glow, letting the whole world know that the light had arrived.

But Sidney Zwiebel was not fooled.

This was not the light at the end of a long, cold night.

This was not the light of heaven.

"How…" he breathed "can something so beautiful be so utterly evil?"

Katarina Himmler spread her gown out as she floated down to where Sid laid on the floor. She leaned over him as she had before, letting her hair fall all about, like a silky curtain. She smiled her blue tinged lips, her gray eyes light and caring. "And there you are, my ever sweet man." she spoke and it sounded like a whispered song.

Sid slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?" he demanded. Despite his weak voice, he managed to put an edge to his words as if he had been saving what was left of his strength to fight her one last time.

Katarina traced a light, pale finger down his jaw. She gazed at him almost lovingly. "Why do you struggle so? You know this is where you belong. That here is where you will be set free. That I am your destiny."

Jersey closed his eyes again. "Destiny?" He managed a chuckle. "You're standing… proof you don't give a crap about destiny."

She tilted her head, smiling her amusement. "Indeed? How so?"

"Destiny killed your kids a long time ago in a plane crash." Sid told her, opening his eyes again. "I'm thinking killed you too."

Her smile faded, her eyes grew sad. "Well, sweet man, destiny is what you make of it." She paused to brush some speck of dust from his cheek. "I did not die. But neither did they. We survived, broken and destroyed, but alive on this barren island, devoid of all life. And, for a time, we suffered greatly in our agonizing starvation." Those gray eyes drifted off as her thin, pale fingers floated up to her lips as if there was still warm, delectable blood on them, waiting to be suckled off. "I was so hungry… so very, ravenously hungry." She looked at him. "Thus I fed."

Sidney stared at her.

They were alive.

He hadn't expected that. He had thought that the children had died in the crash. That they were dead when she turned to their bodies for substance. That he could almost understand.

But they were alive.

She smiled at the memory. "They came to me, so sweet, so giving. They cried only a little. With their blood, the island bloomed. And, when I brought them back, stronger and more than they had ever been before, they thanked me, they praised me."

The doctor looked at her with horror and disgust. "They're a figment of your sick, guilty conscious!"

She looked confused. "Guilty? Did you not see? They gave me life, and I give them forever existence. They are my immortality."

"And what did Pecos give you? Or Reno? Or Knuckles?" He squeezed his eyes closed. "What do you get from me? From doing… _**this to me?" he wanted to know. He needed to know. **_

She leaned over him again. "You give me life. Do you not understand? You are my immortality." she whispered. Leaning down, she laid gentle kisses on his eye lids. "I am your forever."

* * *

Mrs. Johnson gasped.

"Sorry." Peggy grumbled as she set the bandage back in place.

The girl just laid back on the newly righted cot and squeezed her eyes closed.

Sitting back on her heals, Peggy cradled her broken arm. "Eunice, I think the fall ripped open the inner stitches. You're bleeding internally." She licked her lips, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

Even if they were in the infirmary, there wasn't much they could do. There was only one surgical kit left. Plasma was all but gone. No antibiotics of any serious sort. They're only hope had been to get her to a hospital.

But now…

The girl Peggy had raised since she had been knee high was bleeding to death.

And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

"Peggy?" Mrs. Johnson whispered.

Snapping out of her head, Peggy wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "No worries, sweety. I just have to get to the infirmary." she told the girl. Glancing about, she looked for some way to get the door open. "Hell, this is an armory! There has to be something to blow that damn door!"

"Peggy." Mrs. Johnson called again, more insistent.

Peggy looked at the girl.

She was looking up at the A.I. screens above their heads. "The dots are changing colors."

"Dots?" The Lady Banzai frowned. She followed her gaze.

The main screen still showed the floor plan and crew positions. Two blue in the armory. One blue entering the den. Another blue entering the hall pass the kitchen. One in the infirmary. Two blue, one red outside…

One blue, two red…

Peggy's gut twisted, her hand going to her mouth.

Three red.

"No." she whispered. "No, no, no…" Peggy rose up, snapping at the computer "Quarter A.I. open the damn door!" She slammed her hand against the cold steel.

* * *

There was a pair of blond boys on the back of a fallen couch, one stabbing at a cushion, the other dragging his knife across the reflective end table. A little girl was sitting on a desk, tipping a flat screen this way and that, trying to reach the horses displayed on the screen.

At first sight, Buckaroo stopped, his hands coming up at the ready. He had ran out of bullets some time back, leaving him nothing but his fists to fight with.

But the children seemed too distracted with destroying the furniture to noticed someone else enter the room.

He could have smiled with relief at having a few moments of not fighting. Carefully making as little noise as possible, Buckaroo climbed through the doorway into the den and pulled the slider closed, locking it into place.

It was a fragile door, only meant to keep some of the noise of Perfect Tommy's video games at bay when Buckaroo set down to read or Rawhide napped. But, maybe, it would stall the hordes pouring in through the bridge long enough to reach the armory on the other side of the den.

Climbing over the bookcases that made up the port side wall, he kept a wary eye on the children. The armory door was closed, a bookcase fallen across it.

He was half way there when a burst of gun fire sounded outside. Buckaroo stopped, his head coming up, listening.

Who was outside? Tommy Boy was on the top deck with Perfect Tommy. Did they find a way down? Were they making a run for the trees? No, probably back to the ship. Those two would never leave if they thought the others were in danger.

Then the gun fire lessened. It became single shots, then one shot… then nothing.

Buckaroo closed his eyes. He held his breath, willing his ears to listen… to hear more… hear the gunshots fading in the distance, hear the angry yells at the escape…

But he didn't hear anything.

There was nothing to hear.

They were gone.

There was a tug on his pant leg.

Buckaroo opened his eyes and looked down.

The little girl stood beside him, gazing up as innocently as if asking for an ice cream. She blinked, big, bashful eyes at him, tilting her head so her blond curls fell over one shoulder. Her little fingers were wrapped around a handful of his pant leg.

Such a sweet, beautiful, little thing.

No sooner had he thought it, then he felt the knife slicing into his side.

With a gasp, Buckaroo spun away, stumbling over the bookcases and falling hard on the shelves. Biting back a cry, the doctor rolled, barely avoiding another knife thrust.

But the little girl was quick, leaping through the air, and landing in the middle of his back with both feet. Knife clasped in both hands, she raised it high above and, aiming for the back of his head, brought the weapon down.

Bucking his hips, Buckaroo threw her off balance, her knife bouncing off the shelf just missing his ear. Twisting, he grabbed her foot and yanked, pulling her feet out from under her. When her head hit the wall near his feet, he kicked, snapping her head back with an ugly sounding crack.

Not waiting to see if she was done, Buckaroo scrambled to his feet. Kicking a Jules Verne book out from under foot, he glanced about for the two boys.

They were already moving on him, one coming from each side. One twirled his knife like he was teasing him. The other just jabbed with his weapon, forcing Buckaroo to skip back.

He would have fallen again if the wall hadn't been there to catch him. Hands braced against the wall, he kicked back, sending the jabber skipping away.

The teaser rushed forward then, slicing across Buckaroo's back.

Hissing with pain, Buckaroo arched his back, trying to escape the sharp knife. He twisted about, throwing an arm out almost blindly, warding off the second strike. Hopping the shelves, he made it to a flat, empty area where he had clear ground to fight.

The jabber threw himself at Buckaroo.

The doctor leaned back, letting his attacker sail by and crash into what had been the ceiling fan.

Again using his partner as a distraction, the teaser leaped at Buckaroo's back.

Hearing his feet on the floor, Buckaroo spun, kicking out. The side of his boot caught the creature across the head, sending him head over heals until he slammed into the far wall.

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, hands held up and at the ready, the Cavalier glanced about for the jabber. He didn't see him in time.

The jabber's knife sunk deep into the soft flesh behind his knee, sinking until the tip caught between the bones of the joint.

Buckaroo Banzai screamed. His leg locked by the blade, he fell forward, catching himself on an over turned table. Holding the wounded leg out, he turned to face the jabber.

Licking blood off of his fingers, the jabber swayed. He grinned as he watched his victim from hooded eyes. He was the predator who just tasted first blood of his prey.

And, now, he was closing for the kill.

Gritting his teeth, Buckaroo reached down and yanked the knife out of his leg. A wave of nausea washed over him and, for a breath, the world nearly went black. But, by sheer force of will, Buckaroo made his eyes stay open, demanded that his heart keep pumping and his lungs keep breathing. Knuckles white, he gripped the knife and…

The jabber lunged, fingers hooked, teeth bared…

…. bringing it up, Buckaroo thrust the knife up, through Jabber's jaw, through the roof of his mouth, until the hilt hit bone.

* * *

Rawhide stopped when he heard the scream. "Buckaroo." he whispered, knowing that voice no matter how far away. He took a step back down the hall.

But at least thirty, forty, of those little bastards filled the living room, a couple even finding the hall and sniffing their way down. They were so thick, they were plugging up the doorways, having difficulty moving around.

Rawhide would never reach the den. Would never reach Buckaroo.

Whatever his brother faced, he would have to face it alone.

How many times, the big man wondered, can a heart break?

Yanking the buck knife out of his boot, he turned and hurried down the hall to the infirmary.

He had to save Jersey.

It was the only thing he could do now.

The only Cavalier he could reach.

Save Jersey.

And, with no where to go, no way out, there was only one way to save him.

If it was the last thing he did, Rawhide would kill Sidney Zwiebel and save him from this damnation.

* * *

Buckaroo fell against the door. Squeezing his eyes against the nausea, he took a moment to concentrate on breathing. Everything hurt. Everything bled. He just wanted to lie down and close his eyes.

"No." he growled at himself. "No, not yet."

The slider raddled.

Glancing back, he saw the door shake.

They found it.

They knew he was here.

They were trying to get in.

They would get in.

Just a matter of time.

Taking a deep breath, Buckaroo hit the com panel beside the armory door. "Peggy?" When there wasn't an immediate answer, he called her again. "Peggy… please, answer."

"Buckaroo?" came her voice.

In that moment all pain washed away. Buckaroo smiled and he leaned his head against the panel. "Peggy, love, that is the prettiest sound that all the universe has to offer."

She chuckled, though her words sounded so sad. "You always were a sucker for anything with a beat."

Buckaroo also chuckled.

The slider raddled again. There was a crash as something was slammed into it.

Buckaroo dragged his teeth over his upper lip. "Peggy, are you alright? How's our baby girl?"

There was a long pause.

He felt panic tighten around his chest. "Peggy!"

"I'm fine." she lied.

He could hear the lie as loud and clear as if it was a trumpet blowing in his ear.

Hurt as much too.

"Mrs. Johnson…" Peggy stopped. She was crying when she spoke again. "She's dying, Buckaroo. She won't last more than a few hours… Oh, god, Buckaroo… our kids… Tommy Boy and Perfect Tommy… even Oddity…"

There was another crash and the slider splintered. Little hands poked through broken bits, grabbing and tugging and ripping it open.

"Peggy." Buckaroo spoke again. He laid his hand on the speaker, imagining that he could feel her. Touch her cheek, smell her hair, hold her close. "Peggy, it'll be alright." he promised. "Don't be afraid."

She was silent.

Another crash.

Pieces of the door flew across the room with such force, they stuck into the opposite wall like arrows.

Buckaroo winced. He didn't need to look to know they were climbing in. That they were coming for him.

"Buckaroo?" came Peggy's voice.

"Yea?" he answered.

"I love you."

Buckaroo closed his eyes and smiled. "Love, never ending, undying." he swore.

Then he pushed away from the door, spinning just in time to dodge a knife.

On one leg, he spun and struck out at his attackers. But no matter what direction he went, there was another attacker, another knife, another cut.

"Buckaroo?"

He bit his lip as he felt the stabs.

"Buckaroo!" she screamed.

Despite the pain, he refused to cry out. He would not have her last memory of him be his screams.

He would not!

"Buckaroo, answer me!"

He would not!

* * *

When he opened his eyes, New Jersey was lying in the bed again. For a moment he wondered… had it been a dream? Was it all just a horrible nightmare?

But then he reached across his body, wanting to feel his other arm, wanting some assurance that it really had been a dream.

All he found was nothing.

Suddenly he couldn't breath.

He couldn't think.

He couldn't feel.

He couldn't even scream.

Then she leaned over him, running her long, thin fingers through his hair. Coming close, she whispered in his ear "Shush now. Be still, my Sidney. There is no need to be afraid."

He sobbed. "Just… just kill me… please…"

Katarina just smiled her beautiful, soft smile down at him. Her ever gentle fingers traced down the edges of his face, down his throat. "Now, sweet man, do not wish for such things. A man such as you, good and escalated beyond your breeding. You are destined for greater praise than simple death." She unbuttoned his shirt, carefully and gently maneuvering his remaining arm until it laid bare on the bed beside him.

"Please…" Sid begged.

One thin finger glided down the inside of his arm until she reached his wrist. "Shhhhhhh…" she hushed him. "Soon you will be free. Soon I will be your forever."

"Yea?" came a voice from just inside the doorway. "But I'll still be the big, pissed off cowboy with the honking huge knife."

"Rawhide." Sid gasped, closing his eyes.

Katarina's head rose, though her eyes never left her victim.

"Ma'am, don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to gut you." Rawhide growled as he slowly made his way around the bed. "I just rather you not bleed all over poor Jersey there when it's done."

Katarina's image flickered, and then she looking at Rawhide, her face suddenly twisting in an ugly, horrid, vicious expression. "You have such audacity?" Again she flickered, and then she was standing, facing him. "You impudent beast!" she screeched.

One hand up in defense, Rawhide swung out with his other, striking with the ten inch buck knife.

But the woman flickered again.

Suddenly she was behind him. One hand reached around and gripped him by the throat. The other held Rawhide's wrist, holding the knife at a safe distance. With strength beyond what should be possible of her slim frame, she stretched and twisted his arm to an unnatural position.

There was a sickening pop and crack as she twisted his arm until it snapped, the knife falling from useless fingers.

Rawhide gritted his teeth, watching the blade bounce on the bed.

Her voice was a withering hiss as she told him "You will suffer greatly burning in the pit of hell. A never ending death, a forever of never being again." Then the hand on his throat jerked, snapping his neck.

"No…" Sid cried.

Katarina flickered and she was once more sitting on his bedside, leaving Rawhide to fall, lifeless and forgotten, to the floor behind her. "Shhhh." she was hushing him again, offering comfort with a gentle touch, wiping away his tears. "Shush, my beautiful, sweet man."

Her hands cupped over her face, Peggy backed away from the door. "No. No, no, nononononono…" she cried into her hands, shaking her head.

She didn't need to hear, didn't need to see, didn't need the A.I. To tell her…

Her husband was dead.

Pecos and Reno were dead.

Knuckles and Oddity were dead.

Tommy Boy and Perfect Tommy were dead.

Rawhide, for he would never allow all the others to die without him, was dead.

Little Mrs. Eunice Johnson was only hours away from being dead.

Sid was as good as dead.

Buckaroo Banzai…

Peggy closed her eyes, doubled over and screamed and screamed and screamed until she choked, having to gasp for breath.

Everything was so quiet suddenly, without the screaming. All she could hear was the scratching at the door.

Scratching?

Of course.

They had everyone else.

Now they were coming for her.

Still doubled over, Peggy wrapped her arms around her middle and opened her eyes.

As if placed there by some omnipotent being, there, right at her feet, was the box she had set aside earlier.

Yes, the tiniest bit of plastic explosives would have blown the door open. But it would have also killed those within. Not to mention the possible chain reaction of setting off the everything else found in an armory. And the armory sat above one of the engines, pumping full of fuel.

What would the whole box do?

She knew then what to do. Straightening up, she started looking for the blasting caps.

* * *

He was genuinely surprised to feel. Twice surprised to feel the hilt of the knife at his finger tips, still warm from Rawhide's grasp.

Katarina leaned over him, seemingly unaware of what was going through his mind. Her pale blue lips brushed over his own as she whispered "Sweet, sweet man."

"I can't kill you." Sid admitted, his fingers curling around the hilt.

She smiled and sat up. "No, you can not kill me." she agreed.

"But…" He glared at her. "I can kill me!" He brought the weapon up, aiming a strike at his own heart.

She caught his wrist just as the tip pricked his skin. Her expression never wavered as if nothing had happened. As if Jersey hadn't just tried to kill himself. "No." she said softly in her musical voice. "You can not kill yourself. You belong to me. And it is not in your power to take what is mine."

Jersey couldn't help but sob as she took the knife out of his fingers. There was nothing he could do but watch as she examined the blade.

Watch as she laid his arm down on the bed again.

Watch as she placed the tip of the blade at his shoulder.

No!

He tore his eyes away, turning his head. He found Rawhide on the floor, staring back with lifeless eyes. Holding his breath, he locked onto those eyes, and waited for the cutting to begin.

* * *

Peggy held the clumsy bomb to her chest and laid beside Mrs. Johnson on the cot.

The girl moaned softly.

"Shhh. It'll be alright." Peggy assured. "Don't be afraid." She closed her eyes and squeezed the ignition.

* * *

The Aurora rocked violently.

Katarina flickered and was suddenly on her feet.

There was an explosion and the ship rocked again. Then another explosion.

Katarina flickered as she spun about, searching all of existence for answers.

When she finally faced Jersey again, he was smiling. "Hey, Kat?" he said with a chuckle. "Should probably tell you… Hitler: Twisted bastard with a Jew mother."

Then the Aurora was swallowed by an explosion, rocking the entire island.

* * *

A/N: Epilog to come!


	4. Epilog

0o0o0o0o0

Epilog

0o0o0o0o0

All existence was quiet and still.

It wasn't cold nor warm.

It wasn't bright nor dark.

It wasn't soft nor hard.

It wasn't old nor new.

It wasn't real nor dream.

Dream?

Was it a dream?

Could it possibly be a dream?

Or was it death?

Finally, gentle, welcoming death?

If it was death, why did his toe itch?

Toe?

Dr. Sidney Zwiebel bolted up in bed. Frantically he tore at the blankets, trying to dig his way down to his legs.

"Sid!" someone called to him, trying to grab at his arms. "Sid, calm down! You're alright."

But he didn't hear anything but the unbearable loud beating of his own heart.

Twisting about, he threw the blankets away from him until he saw them:

Legs! Two of them! Legs, ankles, feet, toes. They were all there, as perfect as they had ever been.

And that's when he saw them, holding the blankets: hands, arms… strong and healthy and unscathed.

"Hey, Sidney." Buckaroo called to him again, his voice gentler. "You're okay, buddy. You're all here. Just take a few breaths."

"Yea." Perfect Tommy spoke up. "We counted. All ten toes and nine fingers."

Jersey frowned. "Nine?" He looked down at his hands.

Rawhide groaned. "Damnit, Tommy…. Any other day and I'd beat your butt…"

"Why do you think I'm getting it all out today?" Tommy returned, followed by a sharp "Ow!" protesting the smack up the back of his head.

Knuckles simply smirked and went back to her pacing.

"And that's how we know Knuckles is just fine and dandy. She doesn't have anywhere near the restraint Rawhide has." Reno offered. He tried to chuckle, but it just came out as a grunt.

Looking up from his ten fingers (he counted them twice), Jersey blinked at Buckaroo. "I…" he tried, but when the words wouldn't come, he just shook his head. He didn't understand. He couldn't understand.

Had it all been a dream?

Was none of it real?

Was any of it real?

The island? The children? Katarina? Pecos?

Jersey suddenly grabbed Buckaroo's arm so tightly, the man hissed in pain. "Pecos! Where is she? Is she alright?" he demanded.

Buckaroo stood very still, resisting the urge to yank his arm free, afraid it would just agitate the situation. "She's fine, Sid. She's right here." He nodded across the bed.

Pecos stood a few feet away, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she didn't trust herself… didn't trust anything.

Letting go of Buckaroo, Jersey focused on the girl. "Pecos, you alright? How do you feel? How's your hand?" he wanted to know as he swung his legs off of the bed.

She glanced at him, then quickly dropped her eyes. "You're still asking if I'm alright? After… after everything I did?" she whispered.

"That wasn't you!" Reno quickly corrected. He reached out for her, but stopped just short of touching her. He was afraid to touch her. Afraid to hold her, even when he needed to so much… when she needed him to. After all, he was the one who killed her.

Jersey shook his head. "Pecos, you would never hurt me… any of us." he assured. When she didn't look at him, he pushed off the bed and reached for her.

But his legs seemed to dissolve out from under him and he was falling.

"Jersey!" Pecos cried, stepping forward and catching him before he hit the floor. A step behind her, Reno helped him back up on the bed.

For a panicked breath, New Jersey thought that this had been the dream, that the reality was his legs were gone. He tried to breath, tried to calm himself, tried to reason.

It was Pecos' equally panicked voice that snapped him out of it. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry…" She backed away, wrapping her arms around herself again.

Jersey looked up at her and it accord to him that she thought he was freaking out because she had touched him. She thought it was her who sent him into a panic.

His own fears dissolved with the need to help her. "It's alright. Legs are just asleep." he reasoned, rubbing them. "'Supposed it's been a bit since I've used them." He looked around again. "Where are we? What happened to us?"

Each took a moment to look around once more. They were in some sort of hospital ward with no real details except for the mirror, no doubt a one-way window looking in, on the far wall beside a locked steel door. Bland walls, bland tile floor, bland ceiling, bland hospital garb, bland beds, bland, bland, bland…

The crew was scattered about the room, each one in an obvious state of mild shock, numbly moving about with the need to do something… anything. Some fumed, like Knuckles, pacing angrily, but never getting further than arm's length from Perfect Tommy. Some just clung on to someone else, like Mrs. Johnson clung to Tommy Boy, afraid of what might happen if she let go.

Buckaroo had backed up to his wife's bed. "Hospital ward. Few nurses come and go decked out in bio-hazard gear. No one's telling us where we are, but, by the accents, Austria. Size of this room and quality of equipment we've seen, Sydney."

Peggy pulled him to her until he was close enough to curl up in his arms. "I don't care where we are." she told them all. "We're alive. We're together. And, except a few horrible memories, we're alright."

But that wasn't enough for Mrs. Johnson. She was sitting on a bed across the room, one hand rubbing her stomach where there had been a bullet hole, the other clinging to Tommy Boy's shirt tail as if she was a frightened, little girl. "Is it just memories?" she wanted to know. "Or a dream? What really happened?"

"Lots and lots of questions." Tommy Boy agreed. "And no answers."

Perfect Tommy chimed in, confusion far on its way to anger. "What? How? Why? And let's not forget… What the fuck? Ah mean… ah remember a bunch of knee high cannibals and a whole hell of a lot of dyin'. And, 'les there's some other reason we all took turns countin' Jersey's fingers and toes when we woke up, Ah'm thinkin' you all remember the exact same way ah do." He waved a hand in the air at their surroundings. "Oh, and hey, anyone remember how the hell we got here? Not to mention, oh, yea, who duct taped all of us back together? '_Cause we were all dead?!" He looked at each of them, giving them a chance to deny it. When no one could offer him an answer, the kid slammed his fist against the footboard. "Really! What the fuck?!" he yelled at them._

_Rawhide gave an all too tired sigh. "Perfect Tommy, take a breath. We're all okay." he assured._

"_Rawhide!" Perfect Tommy snapped. "You left Knuckles behind. Left her to die. You call that okay?!"_

"_I told him to do that!" Knuckles answered before Rawhide could even react to the accusation. She faced off with Tommy and growled "Don't you ever blame him for that! I was already dead. I was bitten! What he did… it saved me."_

_Tommy huffed. "Saved? You were torn to pieces. I heard you scream!"_

"_I would die a hundred times that way, than live long enough to hurt you… any of you." Knuckles dared a smile. "When I died, I woke up here. If anything, I was saved from what the rest of you went through."_

_Perfect Tommy glared at her. But only for a moment. He rubbed the palms of his hands in his eyes and groaned. "Really, Jessica, what the fuck…"_

_Knuckles stepped up, wrapping her arms around him, set and determined that she would protect him if it meant she had to stand there to the end of her days._

"_I wish I had died." Pecos whispered._

"_No, you don't." Reno growled. _

_She looked at him. "What I did…"_

"_Wasn't you!" he told her again. "You didn't do anything. That… bitch! She did it! Not you."_

"_Pecos," Tommy Boy spoke up. "Sweety, you already told us the last thing you remember before waking up here is throwing a canteen at that kid in the woods. If the rest of us woke up here when we died… then you died there in the woods." she reasoned._

_Pecos frowned at her. "But, you said I…"_

"_Your body, that's all." Jersey quickly assured. "It's like… like someone stole your car and used it in a bank robbery." _

_Reno took her by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "You have to know… it isn't in you to do those things. You are a good, kind, beautiful soul who could never hurt those she loves." He had to drop his eyes, his own shame surfacing. "Not like me."_

"_Reno." Buckaroo called. When he looked at him, Buckaroo reminded him "It was you who first saw that that was not Pecos. You knew she wasn't there to save. You didn't kill her. You stopped whatever it was that was using her body." _

_Peggy nodded her agreement. "You stopped the bank robbers."_

_Pecos took Reno by the chin and raised his head until she could see his eyes. "You have to know… it isn't in you to hurt me. Not ever!" she whispered._

_Reno wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him, just holding on for dear life._

_Rawhide reached up as if to push his Stetson back, but, remembering he didn't have it, ran his fingers through his hair. "Damn, I want my hat." he growled. Stomping over to the mirror, he banged on it with a big fist. "Alrighty, folks. We're all up and about. Time for some hellos and howdies." _

_They all leaned forward, waiting for an answer. _

_After nearly a full minute of silence, Mrs. Johnson looked up at the ceiling. "Tic tock, tic tock!" she called out to anyone who might be listening._

_Tommy Boy chuckled. Wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders, she said "Don't think that's going to…"_

_The door swung open and a group in bio hazard suits walked in. Some carried trays, others clip boards. But one was pushing in a dog cage and arguing with the others. _

"_Hey." he was saying. "They're in quarantine. He's in quarantine. Don't see why they can't all be quarantined together!"_

_Tommy Boy instantly recognized the voice. "Thunder!"_

_Knuckles instantly recognized the bark. "Oddity!" Abandoning Perfect Tommy, she spun and hurried to the cage. _

_Perfect Tommy, stood, arms empty, and frowned. "Did ah just get dumped for a dog?" he wondered. But, smiling, he followed Knuckles over._

_A rather large bio-suit stepped in front of her and gave Knuckles a warning glare. _

_Knuckles matched her glare. "Nurse Jabba the Hut, you do not want to be standing there." she snarled. _

_As if she needed encouragement, at the sound of his mistress' voice, Oddity started barking excitedly. _

_But, before either woman could make a leap to battle, Thunder threw open the cage. _

_Oddity sprang out, between Jabba's legs, and leaped up, his front paws landing on Knuckles' shoulders. _

_With a cry just as happy and excited as the barks, Knuckles fell back against Perfect Tommy. _

_Perfect Tommy's cry was less happy, less excited, as he fell back against the foot board, Knuckles and dog falling on top of him. _

_Tommy Boy was about to make her own long lost love charge at Thunder when she was reminded of Mrs. Johnson being securely attached to her shirt tail. As much as she wanted to crawl into his arms and never let go, she wasn't about to abandon the girl._

_But Mrs. Johnson wasn't about to deny her. "Go get him." she suggested, releasing her hold._

_Tommy Boy barely smiled at her, before she was racing across the room._

_Nurse Jabba the Hut snapped her fingers at a couple of her cohorts who quickly moved to cut Tommy Boy off. "No, sorry, Miss. No touchin' him. Dats da rules." she barked at the Cavalier._

_Tommy Boy skidded to a halt as a bio-suit made a grab for her, trying to stop her. "Hey!" she snapped._

_Rawhide was at her side instantly. "Back off!" he growled, towering over the suddenly very little man._

_More bio-suits hurried to back up their fellow, earning the growling attention of the Cavaliers._

_Buckaroo and Reno both stepped away from their girls, ready to back Rawhide up. Knuckles pushed away from Perfect Tommy. "Yea. Have no idea how much I need a brawl!"_

"_Easy, guys!" Thunder hollered, holding up his hands. When he had everyone's attention, he turned to Tommy Boy. "You're quarantine. I can't touch you." he told her. "It's the deal I made so they'd let me come in and talk to you guys."_

"_I didn't make any damn deal!" Tommy Boy protested. "And why the hell are we quarantined?"_

"_I gave them my word so I could come in and tell you guys what's going on." Thunder pointed out. "That is if everyone would put the killing each other on hold for just a few minutes." He gave the Cavaliers the same pointed look he gave the medical staff._

_Tommy Boy crossed her arms over her chest, obviously unhappy, but she didn't make any further move toward him. Following her lead, the Cavaliers relaxed, though Rawhide stayed at her elbow, giving Knuckles the added order "Muzzle it, girl."_

_The little bounty hunter glared, but obeyed, standing down._

_Jabba waved to her cohorts and they backed away from the Cavaliers, taking up guard positions._

_Knuckles frowned at that. "Are we under arrest, or something?" she wanted to know._

"_Something." Thunder answered. Leaning against the mirror, he admitted "We don't know much of what happened or what caused it, but… you missed your restock in Tanqui, Brazil ten days ago. We couldn't locate the Aurora's signal any where in the world."_

"_Ten days?" Peggy breathed. Her eyes shifted, counting the days she remembered. "We're missing… six days."_

_Tommy Boy shook her head. "Our systems were down. The storm blocked all signals. We couldn't get anything out." she explained._

"_Tommy Boy, we didn't find a storm either." Thunder returned. "Not where you should have been. And nothing anywhere in the Atlantic that could have brought down the Aurora."_

"_So how did you find us?" Rawhide wanted to know._

_Thunder shrugged. "Every ship we have, every satellite we have, every favor from every country… and all we found was ocean, Until three days ago. Clear as a bell, the Aurora's emergency beacon started blaring a little above Antarctica. She was drifting, no apparent damage. The only sign anything was wrong was the ten of you, plus dog, lying on the deck, sleeping like babies." He threw Rawhide a glance. "Big babies."_

_Rawhide snorted._

_And Thunder continued. "We brought you to Sydney International, ran tests, ran more tests, made up tests to run when we ran out of the ordinary ones…. Hell, even Alaska Anne came on down to check you guys out herself. No one could find anything wrong with you and no one could wake you." He waved a hand at Pecos. "Then, yesterday morning, Pecos shot up so sudden like Doc Reynolds is still sitting with a heart monitor. The rest of you started coming around one by one… Reno, then Knuckles… so on and so forth. All with the same, nasty tale to tell."_

"_So, it was some sort of shared dream." Buckaroo mumbled. "And they didn't find anything wrong with us?"_

"_Checked the ship's air filtering?" Rawhide asked. "Water cycling? Food? This didn't just happen!"_

"_Checked, checked, quadruple check." Thunder answered. "Even inventoried all the drugs and chemicals on board, checked them against manifest… nothing used, nothing missing. Whatever knocked you guys out was long gone without a trace by the time we found you."_

_Knuckles threw a glare at Nurse Jabba. "Why we quarantined… or something… if there's nothing wrong with us?"_

"_Politics."_

"_Politics?" Tommy Boy huffed. She sniffed. "I can't touch you because governments are arguing over… what do they have to argue about? One of them do this to us?"_

_Thunder groaned, bouncing his head against the wall behind him. "It's a big tug-a-war mess. Everyone wants credit for pulling the Aurora and the great Dr. Buckaroo Banzai from the water." He started his own angry pacing. "We received the Aurora's signal through a US Navy satellite, so they want the credit. A Chinese Whaler was the first to eye ball you, So, China wants credit. We reached you on our own ship, but it happens to be registered in France. So France wants credit. We brought you to the closest medical center, Sydney International. Austria wants credit. And no one is letting anyone else say you're clean because that would give that someone else credit for a rescue that we, the Banzai Institute, in the whole, paid for, performed, and everything else required! And they're using your quarantine to keep us from just up and walking out of here with you guys. I mean, I had to wheel and deal to get this far! Did I mention Alaska Anne came all the way to Austria to check you all out herself? For crying out loud, it's been so long since she left Alaska, she arrived in a parka! Our own zoologists took care of Oddity. It's even his own cage brought all the way from the Jessie James Club in New York!"_

_Knuckles held up one hand, while scratching Oddity's ears with the other. "BTW: thanks."_

_Thunder stopped his pacing and offered her smile. "Truth be told, I was a little afraid you'd hurt someone if he didn't show up sooner rather than later."_

_Another glare at Nurse Jabba, who threw out her chin in challenge._

"_Politics." Rawhide snarled, the word leaving a nasty taste in the back of his throat._

_Buckaroo sighed and dropped back on the bed beside his wife. "I was hoping we were helping world peace." he grumbled. "Not causing World War III."_

_Peggy leaned against his back and asked Thunder "Any idea how long we're stuck here?"_

_Thunder sighed. "Well, Books is working legalities now. He's throwing a fit about illegal detaining and law suits and human rights and some sort of accord and a bunch of legal stuff I really don't want to understand." He tilted his head. "And, if that doesn't work, Alaska Anne has a whole long list of reporters and talk show hosts. We'll have you out in a few days."_

"_Days?" Tommy Boy groaned._

_Thunder winced. "Maybe… a week…? A week at most!" he gave an uneasy promise._

"_A week?" Tommy Boy practically sobbed. Dropping her head, she hugged herself. _

"_That's a whole hell of a load of crap!" Knuckles snapped. "All I want to do is go home and curl up in the tub!"_

_Perfect Tommy waved his hand. "That's got my vote!"_

"_That's all any of us want to do." Buckaroo agreed._

_Perfect Tommy and Knuckles glanced at him sharply._

_Buckaroo blushed. "I was speaking figuratively. We all want to go back to our own safe, warm, cozy spots."_

_Peggy swatted his shoulder, but Tommy pointed out "I wasn't speaking figuratively." and Knuckles promptly smacked his shoulder._

_Thunder chuckled softly, then turned his attention back to his girl. "Yea, well, so do I." he admitted to her. "I want to get you back home, safe, warm, cozy, protected…"_

_Tommy Boy wiped her eyes. _

_Thunder took a step toward her, instinctivly offering her some sort of comfort… any sort of comfort._

"_Mister Thunder!" Jabba snapped a warning._

_Thunder's out stretched hand dropped, balling up in a fist. "Yea, yea, yea." he growled. "Okay, let me go yell some and see if I can't get things moving any faster. Not that it'll do any good, but…" He ground his teeth, not actually wanting to say that yelling at a bunch of idiot politicians was easier than standing there, just a few feet from Tommy Boy, seeing how much she needed him, and not being able to reach out and just touch her._

_Damn, damn, damn!_

_He spun away and stepped through the door just as quickly as he could._

_Tommy Boy took a step after, but Nurse Jabba was quick to cut her off. "Fine!" she snapped at the nurse, spinning about and stomping off._

_Rawhide followed, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" he asked softly._

"_No!" she snapped at him. Wiping her eyes again, she leaned against him. "I don't need home. I don't need safe or warm or cozy." Sniff. "I just want to curl up with Thunder and forget everything…. Everything that happened…"_

_The big cowboy couldn't help but feel his own heart ache. And not just for her longing, but for his own sake, for the fact that it wasn't him she wanted. Glancing around he saw Buckaroo and Peggy leaning against each other; Reno and Pecos clinging to each other for dear life; Knuckles and Perfect Tommy fussing over Oddity; even Mrs. Johnson had wandered over to New Jersey to check on all his fingers and toes herself._

_And he made a decision. _

"_You know that moment when you die and you see your life pass before your eyes?" he asked her. "When you see all your regrets? You know what I regretted most?"_

_Tommy Boy looked up at him._

"_Letting you go." he admitted. _

_She dropped her eyes. "Rawhide…"_

_But he grabbed her chin, bring her eyes up again. "Don't let him walking out that door be your regret."_

_Tommy Boy's brow scrunched in confusion. "But the qurantine…"_

"_Since when have we given a damn about politics?" Rawhide grinned and stepped away. "Knuckles! Feel like a fight?"_

_Like he needed to ask._

"_Aye, aye, my Captain!" Knuckles snarled, her eyes instantly locking on Nurse Jabba the Hut._

"_Consider the muzzle off." Rawhide growled. He stepped up to the nearest man in a bio-suit and walloped him right in the jaw._

"_Yee-haw!" Knuckles lunged at Jabba._

"_Ah, hell." Reno groaned, stepping away from Pecos. "Think it's a mess now? Wait till we're all straight jacketed." That said, he sprang into the fight. _

_Pecos actually laughed. Then she too picked out a target… victim._

_Buckaroo contemplated joining the fray, but Peggy rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered in his ear "Remember? You're on vacation. Enjoy the show."_

_So he resigned to sitting back and reminding them "Don't hurt anyone."_

_Tommy Boy stared. "Oh, my god…" she laughed as Rawhide began throwing bio-suits into the bathroom, trapping them._

"_You got a reason to still be standing there?" Peggy called to her._

_It was all the encouragement she needed. Tommy Boy was out the door and down the hall before anyone even knew she had moved._

_Thunder had only made it half way down the hall before he had to stop to argue with some man in a lab coat. His bio-suit had already been tossed aside._

"_Thunder!" she called after him._

_He turned just in time to catch her as she jumped into his arms. "Tommy Boy, what are you…" He stopped when Nurse Jabba stumbled back out of the room and crashed into the wall._

_With a growl, the hefty woman picked herself up, readjusted her bio-suit, put her head down, and charged back in._

"_What the hell…?" Thunder asked. _

"_The detaining is about to become legal." Tommy Boy informed him. "Kiss me quick!"_

_Grinning, he did just that. Wrapping his arms around her back, lifting her up off her feet, kissing her for all he was worth…_

_And, for a moment, the world slipped away, leaving just the two of them._

"_Ow!" Tommy Boy suddenly hissed._

_Thunder dropped her back to her feet. "What?" he wanted to know. Not waiting to be told, his hands followed hers to the back of her right shoulder. Pulling the hospital shirt out of the way he saw what she was complaining about._

"_It burns." Tommy Boy hissed, tilting her head, holding her hair out of the way._

_Thunder frowned at what he saw._

_A small chunk of flesh torn away._

_It didn't bleed as if it had just happened, but it hadn't been there before. The edges of the wound were turned up slightly, the skin already dead, the exposed muscle graying. A clear, glistening ooze seeped from the wound._

"_I think… it's some sort of bite." Thunder mumbled, puzzled._

_Tommy Boy gasped, her hands coming up to her face. She stumbled back away from him, staring at him with big, frightened eyes._

_Thunder looked back, confused. He held out his hand, not understanding why she was backing away from him. "Tommy Boy?"_

_But her eyes shifted passed him._

_Frowning, he turned._

_Coming down the hall, in through every door and window were hundreds, thousands even, of small, blond, blue eyed children, each armed with a knife and a blood stained grin._

_0o0o0o0o0_

_The Island_

_The End_

_0o0o0o0o0_


End file.
